bully
/ˈbʊli/ noun, verb, adjective, interjection
Forms bullies bullying bullied bullier bulliest
- noun 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. “A playground bully pushed a girl off the swing.”
- noun A noisy, blustering, tyrannical person, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome.
- noun A hired thug.
- noun A sex worker's minder.
- noun (uncountable) Bully beef.
- noun (obsolete) A brisk, dashing fellow.
- noun The small scrum in the Eton College field game.
- noun Any of various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae; sleeper gobies.
- verb (transitive) To intimidate (someone) as a bully. “You shouldn't bully people for being weak.”
- verb (transitive) To act aggressively towards.
- adjective (US, slang, dated) Very good. “a bully horse”
- adjective (slang, obsolete) Jovial and blustering.
- interjection (often followed by for) Well done; often sarcastic in modern use. “Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!”
Synonyms
henchman thug pimp abbot bludger cock-bawd dalaal fishmonger flashman fleshmonger hoon hustler mackerel mack mack daddy muttonmonger nookie-bookie pandar pussymonger ruffian tough hooligan roughneck rowdy yob yobo yobbo strong-arm browbeat bullyrag
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A noisy, blustering fellow, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome; an insolent, tyrannical fellow.
- noun A brisk, dashing fellow. [Slang Obs.] Shak.
- adjective Jovial and blustering; dashing. [Slang] "Bless thee, bully doctor." Shak.
- adjective Fine; excellent; as, a bully horse. [Slang, U.S.]
Etymology [Cf. LG. bullerjaan, bullerbäk, bullerbrook, a blusterer, D. bulderaar a bluster, bulderen to bluster; prob. of imitative origin; or cf. MHG. buole lover, G. buhle.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bully”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details