What does "bully" mean?
A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those whom they perceive as being vulnerable or of less power or privilege.
Bully
/ˈbʊli/ adj, intj, noun, verb, slang
adj, intj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those whom they perceive as being vulnerable or of less power or privilege.
- Grammar: bully is listed as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: troublemaker, abrasive, ace-high, admirable.
- Useful contrasts: no force, agree, allow.
- Usage evidence: Every playground has its bully.
How to use "bully"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bully" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bully" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bully" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bully" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bully" is acting as adj, intj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "troublemaker" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bully", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those whom they perceive as being vulnerable or of less power or privilege. countable, uncountable
"A playground bully pushed a girl off the swing."
- 2 a cruel and brutal fellow wordnet
- 3 A noisy, blustering, tyrannical person, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome. countable, uncountable
"Besides, bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in; and men of trick and cunning are not always men of desperate resolves."
- 4 a hired thug wordnet
- 5 A hired thug. countable, uncountable
"Mr. Fisher returned from town... he had learnt that our opponents intended to shift the scene of operations to the Chats... We understood that they had hired two bullies for the purpose of deciding the matter par voie de fait. Mr Fisher hired two of the same description, who were supposed to be more than a match for the opposition party."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 A sex worker's minder. countable, uncountable
"The Proclamation Society and the Society for the Suppression of Vice were more concerned with obscene literature […] than with hands-on street battles with prostitutes and their bullies […]."
- 7 Bully beef. uncountable
- 8 A brisk, dashing fellow. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"What sayest thou, Bully Bottom?"
- 9 The small scrum in the Eton College field game. countable, uncountable
- 10 Any of various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae; sleeper gobies. countable, uncountable
- 11 An (eldest) brother; a fellow workman; comrade Ireland, Northern-England, countable, dialectal, obsolete, uncountable
"Frae Team Gut to Whitley, we' coals black an' brown For the Amphitrite loaded, the keel had come down— But the bullies ower neet had their gobs se oft wet, That the nyem o' the ship yen an' a' did forget."
- 12 A companion; mate (male or female). countable, dialectal, uncountable
- 13 A darling, sweetheart (male or female). countable, obsolete, uncountable
"I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heart-string / I love the lovely bully. What is thy name?"
- 14 A standoff between two players from the opposing teams, who repeatedly hit each other's hockey sticks and then attempt to acquire the ball, as a method of resuming the game in certain circumstances. countable, uncountable
- 15 A miner's hammer. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To intimidate (someone) as a bully. transitive
"You shouldn't bully people for being weak."
- 2 discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate wordnet
- 3 To act aggressively towards. transitive
"The Potters know their strengths and played to them perfectly here, out-muscling Bolton in midfield and bullying the visitors' back-line at every opportunity."
- 4 be bossy towards wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Very good. US, dated, slang
"a bully horse"
- 2 Jovial and blustering. obsolete, slang
"Bless thee, bully doctor!"
Adjective
- 1 excellent wordnet
Intj
- 1 Well done; often sarcastic in modern use. often
"Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Every playground has its bully."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bully"?
Common synonyms include: troublemaker, abrasive, ace-high, admirable, aggress, aggressive person.
How do you use "bully" in a sentence?
Every playground has its bully.
How do you pronounce "bully"?
Pronounced /ˈbʊli/.
Etymology
From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive ( + -y) of Dutch boel (“lover; brother”), from Middle Dutch boel, boele (“brother; lover”), from Old Dutch *buolo, from Proto-Germanic *bōlô (compare Middle Low German bôle (“brother”), Middle High German buole (“brother; close relative; close relation”) (whence German Buhle (“lover”)), Old English Bōla, Bōlla (personal name), diminutive of expressive *bō- (“brother, father”). Compare also Latvian bālinš (“brother”). More at boy. The term acquired a negative connotation during the 17th century; first ‘noisy, blustering fellow’ then ‘a person who is cruel to others’. Possibly influenced by bull (“male cattle”) or via the ‘prostitute's minder’ sense. The positive senses are dated, but survive in phrases such as bully pulpit.