bully
Part of speech: noun
verb
intj
Morphological type: derivation
Topics: business
mining
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.
Affixes: -y
Inflected forms:
form: bullies
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: bullies
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: bullying
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: bullied
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: bullied
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: 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.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: A playground bully pushed a girl off the swing.
I noticed you being a bully towards people with disabilities.
gloss: A noisy, blustering, tyrannical person, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Besides, bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in; and men of trick and cunning are not always men of desperate resolves.
And I think the facts are that Beijing is a belligerent bully jealous and envious of what Taiwan has accomplished- mainland China- that's what I get out of all of this.
gloss: A hired thug.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: 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.
gloss: A sex worker's minder.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: 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 […].
gloss: Bully beef.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
gloss: A brisk, dashing fellow.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: What sayest thou, Bully Bottom?
gloss: The small scrum in the Eton College field game.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: Any of various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae; sleeper gobies.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: An (eldest) brother; a fellow workman; comrade
pos: noun
tags: Ireland
Northern-England
countable
dialectal
obsolete
uncountable
examples: 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.
gloss: A companion; mate (male or female).
pos: noun
tags: countable
dialectal
uncountable
gloss: A darling, sweetheart (male or female).
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heart-string / I love the lovely bully. What is thy name?
I have promised to be with the sweet bully early in the morning of her important day.
What! manim-an—kiss your child, man alive. That I may never, but he looks at the darlin’ as if it was a sod of turf! Throth you’re not worthy of havin’ such a bully.
gloss: 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.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A miner's hammer.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: To intimidate (someone) as a bully.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: You shouldn't bully people for being weak.
I won't have you bullying us out my own house.
Bradly's stomach kinked in on itself, thinking of Cora struck silly with that corpse on her hands and the copper bullying the truth out of her.
United States Sen. Marsha Blackburn on Thursday became the latest member of Congress to visit Taiwan defying pressure from Beijing, saying, "I will not be bullied by Communist China into turning my back on the island."
gloss: To act aggressively towards.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: 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.
gloss: Well done; often sarcastic in modern use.
pos: intj
tags: often
examples: Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!
Bully! Bully! Finis coronet opus, “the end crowns all”; “may the last be the best!” By Godfrey it was delightful.
Derived words: American bully
antibully
bulliness
bully-boy
bullycide
bullydom
bullyee
bullyish
bullyism
bullylike
bullyman
bully-off
bullyproof
bullysome
bully stick
bully tree
bully XL
crybully
cyberbully
flat-track bully
nonbully
XL bully
bulliable
bullyable
outbully
Translations: