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

Hong Leong maintains an overweight rating on Malaysian oil and gas sector, pegging Dialog as its top pick on its stronger earnings visibility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 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

Casey’s was a Barron’s stock pick on Dec. 3, 2025.

From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026

But why does he have to pick on me?

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Related Words

• badger
• bully
• get at
• tease
• torment