plural bullies
1
a
: a blustering, browbeating person
especially
: one who is habitually cruel, insulting, or threatening to others who are weaker, smaller, or in some way vulnerable
tormented by the neighborhood bully
b
: pimp
2
: a hired ruffian
3
bullied; bullying
1
: to treat (someone) in a cruel, insulting, threatening, or aggressive fashion : to act like a bully toward
bullied her younger brother
2
: to cause (someone) to do something by means of force or coercion
was bullied into accepting their offer
: to use language or behavior that is cruel, insulting, threatening, or aggressive
Did you know?
Bully Wasn't Always Negative
The earliest meaning of English bully was “sweetheart.” The word was probably borrowed from Dutch boel, “lover.” Later bully was used for anyone who seemed a good fellow, then for a blustering daredevil. Today, a bully is usually one whose claims to strength and courage are based on the intimidation of those who are weaker.
Examples of bully in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the school has a procedure for students who want to report problems with bullies
the local loan shark and his bullies have ways of making people pay up
Verb
He bullied his younger brothers.
the kindergarten teacher explained why it was wrong to bully classmates
Adjective
that's a bully idea for reviving the town's retail center
Recent Examples on the Web
Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
That was a very—that was a very big, big, strong bully.
—Time Staff, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Some gorgeous touches and obvious qualities, but he was also bullied out of possession and too often failed to connect with his team-mates in the final third.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bully
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
For me personally, Parkinson’s is a bully.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
That was a very—that was a very big, big, strong bully.
—Time Staff, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
We were bullied, after all, by the older teenagers who beat us on a regular basis, bloodied our mouths with one punch.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Some gorgeous touches and obvious qualities, but he was also bullied out of possession and too often failed to connect with his team-mates in the final third.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bully
Cite this Entry
“Bully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bully. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bully
1 of 2 noun
bul·ly
ˈbu̇l-ē 
plural bullies
: a person who purposely hurts, intimidates, threatens, or ridicules another usually more vulnerable person especially repeatedly
bully
2 of 2 verb
bullied; bullying
: to act like a bully toward
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