The landlord told me a cock and bull story about why we didn't have heat for three days.
Source: tatoeba (24097)
Bull
/ˈbʊl/
Synonyms for "bull" (387 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (78)
Strong matches (116)
bushwabuttbutt againstcalfcarabaocatachresiscattlechain letterchanticleerchatterclaptrapcockcockerelcommandantconstablecopcoppercowcramcrap
Show 86 more words
crittercrowdcustodiandairy cattledairy cowdead letterdeclarationdecreedecree-lawdecreementdecretaldecretumdickdictumdigdiktatdimissorialdimissory letterdogdogberrydogiedrakedripdrivedriveldrooldrop letteredictedictumelbowencyclicalentireentire horseerroreyewashfan letterfatfiatflamflannelflapdoodleflatfootflattieflimflamflufffolk etymologyfoolishnessforceform letterfudgefuzzgabgabblegammongandergaolergasgendarmegentlemanlikegentlemanlygibbergibble-gabblegoadgobbledegookgobbledygookgobblergovernorgrammatical errorgreatguardguardianguffgumshoegupharthe-goatheiferhogwashhokehokumhooeyhornless cowhot airhoundhumbughumbuggery
Verb(1 words)
Related words (193)
hurtlehuskyhustlehypercorrectionhyperformindian buffaloipse dixitirish bulljabjabberjailerjamjargonjazzjiggery-pokeryjogjogglejohn lawjoltjostle
Show 157 more words
keeperkinelapselargelawleppyletter of creditletter of introductionletters credentialletters of marqueletters of requestletters overtletters patentletters rogatorylonglong accountlong interestlong sidelongslove lettermalapropmalapropismmalarkeymalemanmanfulmanipulate the marketmanlikemanlymannishmarrowskymasculinemaverickmilch cowmilchermilk cowmilkermisadventuremispronunciationmissayingmistakemisusagemonitorymoonshinemuley cowmuley headmumbo-jumbomusk-oxnabneatnewsletternixienudgeoafofficeropen letterordinanceordonnanceoxoxenpaddypastoral epistlepastoral letterpeacockpeelerpeg the marketpifflepigpile drivepoison-pen letterpokepolicepolice officerpolicemanpoppycockprateprattlepressprincipal keeperprison guardproclamationprodpronouncementpronunciamentopunchpushraid the marketramram downrattlerescriptrig the marketroosterrotround robinrulerulingrunrun againstscatscrewsenatus consultsenatus consultumshakeshamusshitshouldershoveslipsolecismspoonerismstagstallionsteerstirkstotstressstudstudhorsestufftalktalk nonsensetampthe copsthe fuzzthe lawthrusttomtom turkeytomcattommyrottop cowtop horsetraptrashtriptripetupturkey gobblerturkey-cockturnkeytwaddletwattleukaseuneffeminatevaporwafflewardenwarderwash saleswetherwhipsawwindwisentyakyearlingzebu
Noun(15 words)
Verb(1 words)
talk through one's hat
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: copper, pig, adult bovine male, aerogram, air letter.
- Sentence evidence is available for bull, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "bull".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "bull"
Keep "bull" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "bull" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "bull", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "bull" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
58 entriesShowing 16 of 58 words.
More specific
9 entriesCollocations
10 entriesInflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
35 translations across 28 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- dem noun (adult male animal)
Aramaic
1 entries- ܬܘܪܐ noun (adult male animal)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- öküz noun (adult male animal)
Danish
2 entries- han noun (adult male animal)
- ligge verb (lie)
Dutch
1 entries- stier noun (adult male animal)
Estonian
1 entries- pull noun (adult male animal)
Finnish
3 entries- koiras noun (adult male animal)
- sonni noun (adult male animal)
- uros noun (adult male animal)
French
1 entries- mâle noun (adult male animal)
Galician
1 entries- touro noun (adult male animal)
German
2 entries- Bulle noun (adult male animal)
- Stier noun (adult male animal)
Greek
1 entries- βόδι noun (adult male animal)
Interlingua
1 entries- masculo noun (adult male animal)
Irish
1 entries- tarbh noun (adult male animal)
Italian
1 entries- maschio noun (adult male animal)
Korean
1 entries- 수컷 noun (adult male animal)
Latin
1 entries- bōs noun (adult male animal)
Māori
1 entries- puuru noun (adult male animal)
Norwegian
1 entries- okse noun (adult male animal)
Portuguese
1 entries- macho noun (adult male animal)
Russian
1 entries- саме́ц noun (adult male animal)
Spanish
1 entries- mamar verb (lie)
Swedish
2 entries- hane noun (adult male animal)
- tjur noun (adult male animal)
Tamil
2 entries- எருது noun (adult male animal)
- ஏறு noun (adult male animal)
Telugu
1 entries- ఎద్దు noun (adult male animal)
Tswana
1 entries- poo noun (adult male animal)
Turkish
2 entries- boğa noun (adult male animal)
- öküz noun (adult male animal)
Wolof
1 entries- yëkk wi noun (adult male animal)
Zazaki
1 entries- vistra noun (adult male animal)
Sample sentences
34 total sentences available.
If you go drinking with Tom, be prepared to listen to some pretty outlandish cock and bull stories.
Source: tatoeba (37375)
You've got to take the bull by the horns!
Source: tatoeba (57564)
The old men like to meet on the street corner just to shoot the bull.
Source: tatoeba (67784)
Showing 4 of 34 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "bull"?
Closest matches include copper, pig, adult bovine male, aerogram, air letter.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "bull"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.