pick on

British  

verb

1. (tr, preposition) to select (someone) for something unpleasant, esp in order to bully, blame, or cause to perform a distasteful task

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pick on Idioms  

1. Tease, bully, victimize, as in She told Mom the boys were always picking on her. [Second half of 1800s] This expression is sometimes put as pick on someone your own size, meaning “don't badger someone who is younger, smaller, or weaker than yourself but do so only to an equal.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pick on

Is this guy trying to pick on the credit bureaus or help them?

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026

And while it would be unfair to pick on MGM—or its producing partner here, the BBC—this “Tale” fits what has become a predictable pattern among literary adaptations, and period pieces in general.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

The Chargers, who used a first-round pick on running back Omarion Hampton last year, have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Melvin Gordon in 2017.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

But the point of such suits seems to be less to pick on each company/influencer one by one and more to make undisclosed partnerships a business risk and potential liability writ large.

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026

I had a feeling Ms. Gruwell was going to pick on me.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

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Related Words

• badger
• bully
• get at
• tease
• torment

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