the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
the male of certain other mammals, as elephants and moose.
a large, solidly built person.
a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (opposed to bear).
Astronomy, Astrology. Bull, the constellation or sign of Taurus.
a bulldog.
Slang. a police officer.
male.
of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.
having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks.
a bull market.
Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.
to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.
to force; shove.
to bull one's way through a crowd.
Nautical. to ram (a buoy).
take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.
bull in a china shop,
an awkward or clumsy person.
an inconsiderate or tactless person.
a troublemaker; dangerous person.
a bulla or seal.
Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.
any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature
the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle
the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale
a very large, strong, or aggressive person
stock exchange
a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
( as modifier ) Compare bear 1
a bull market
short for bull's-eye bull's-eye
slang short for bullshit
short for bulldog bull terrier
a clumsy person
slang
to pass time talking lightly
to boast or exaggerate
to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking
male; masculine
a bull elephant
large; strong
(tr) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying
(intr) (of a cow) to be on heat
slang (intr) to talk lightly or foolishly
John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
See John Bull
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bule, Old English bula; akin to Old Norse boli; Greek phallós “penis,” from a root meaning “to swell”; see bullock
First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin bulla “play, game, jest,” perhaps special use of Latin bulla “bubble”; now generally taken as a euphemistic shortening of bullshit
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bull(e) “a (lead) seal affixed to a papal edict, papal edict; official sealed document,” from Medieval Latin bulla “seal, sealed document,” from Latin ; see origin at bulla
A bull is a male cow. You can usually tell which animal in a pasture is a bull by its large size and horns. A male bovine — or cow — is a bull, and so is a male whale or elephant. Fittingly, the word bull is sometimes also used for a particularly bulky, muscular man. Another informal and slightly obscene meaning is "ridiculous," or "not true," as when you tell a lie and your brother rudely replies, "Bull!" This slang meaning has its roots in the Old French bole, "deception or trick."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Macquarie’s bull at Jefferies thinks the appointment of an internal candidate as CEO reduces risks of a material near-term strategy shift.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
A bull market supported by several sectors is much sturdier than one balanced on a tower of parabolic semiconductor stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Fans queued at New Street station to have their photo taken with the mechanical Ozzy the bull statue, which has been specially dressed up for Ozzy Day, receiving a free commemorative Polaroid.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Gold has suffered a rough few months, tarnishing the bull case for the metal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
I thought we were going to kick back, shoot the bull and watch a movie, but JonPaul couldn’t relax until he’d disinfected his gym clothes.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
On Monday, Red Bull released a statement announcing the 50-year-old's signing as director of their junior programme, adding he would join the team in 2027.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Dragged a difficult Red Bull to a result that looked unlikely after qualifying.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
German fans have long criticised Red Bull for its multi-club model and effective circumvention of the much-loved 50+1 rule, which guarantees supporter voting rights at German clubs.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Klopp's reputation has suffered in Germany since he joined Red Bull as head of global soccer in 2024, in a move many fans saw as a betrayal.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
"It was the Bull of Heaven, and you know it."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
“I had to sit on a bull. Ron Howard drove me home in his VW, and I said, ‘Ron, tell me now.
From Fox News ● Oct. 15, 2019
“Once he got that lead, he was a pit bull. He pitched better in the sixth and seventh innings.”
From Washington Post ● May 25, 2019
“I’m sort of like a pit bull. I never let it go.”
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 6, 2016
"He's competitive, extremely athletic and strong as a bull. That's a great combination to work from."
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2015
“I’m sorry, honey. I knew you’d get the bends. Think I’d tangled with a bull. But I was having such a run of luck it seemed like I ought to let it ride.”
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
It’s not all bad for bulls, however, there are areas they can hide out to stay in the equity game.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026
Even bulls couldn’t ignore that kind of revision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
July happens to overlap with the animal's mating season - the "peak breeding" period where testosterone levels among bulls are heightened, Jennifer Barfield, the scientific lead at Colorado's Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd, said.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
This has been welcome news for long-suffering bulls.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
"Have you seen the bulls for to-morrow?" the critic asked me.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
By one measure, investors haven’t been this bulled up on stocks since the heady days of the original meme-stock frenzy back in 2021.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
The 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara bulled his way to the rim and swatted shots away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
Hill, who plays like he should be a tight end for an NFL team, bulled his way around for 18 points, making nine of 13 shots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026
Swift's three-yard TD gave the Bears a 7-0 lead and Monangai bulled over for a four-yard score that made it 17-9 in the fourth quarter.
From Barron's ● Nov. 29, 2025
Half Time’s head came up, and he dropped out of the pocket an instant before Exhibit’s broad rump bulled into it.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
“I just want to make sure. Did you apologize for the behavior that went on with you and your date?” he asked, bulling over her attempts to interrupt him.
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2024
As for putting his head down, and bulling into Williams, Ferguson said, “My legs might have been a little tired.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he abhorred bulling and the abuse of power after he was asked why he promoted a Conservative lawmaker following complaints of sexual misconduct made against him.
From Reuters ● Jul. 6, 2022
In a swipe at Bonin, he also said District 11 needs a leader who engages everyone rather than bulling ahead without building consensus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2022
He put out his hands to stop Matthew from bulling into the apartment.
From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
