bully

Noun

bully (countable and uncountable, plural bullies)

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.
   • A playground bully pushed a girl off the swing.
   • I noticed you being a bully towards people with disabilities.
2. A noisy, blustering, tyrannical person, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome.
   • Besides, bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in; and men of trick and cunning are not always men of desperate resolves.1840 September 22, Lord Palmerston, The Life of Henry John Temple, Viscount of Palmerston, 3rd edition, volume 2, published 1871, page 327
   • 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.1999 August 5, Jesse Helms, quotee, 1:27 from the start, in USA: CHINA/TAIWAN TENSIONS MOUNTING, Associated Press, archived from the original on 31 Jan 2026
3. A hired thug.
   • 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...1849, John McLean, Notes of a Twenty-Five Years' Service in the Hudson's Bay Territory, pages 42–3

   Synonyms:

   henchman, thug

4. A sex worker's minder.
   • 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 […].2009, Dan Cruikshank, Secret History of Georgian London, Random House, page 473

   Synonyms:

   pimp, abbot, bludger, cock-bawd, dalaal, fishmonger, flashman, fleshmonger, hoon, hustler

5. (uncountable) Bully beef.
6. (obsolete) A brisk, dashing fellow.
   • What sayest thou, Bully Bottom?c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First...
7. The small scrum in the Eton College field game.
8. Any of various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae; sleeper gobies.
9. (Ireland, Northern England, dialectal, obsolete) An (eldest) brother; a fellow workman; comrade
   • 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.1824, Robert Gilchrist, “The Skipper's Erudition”, in A Collection of Original Local Songs, page 11
10. (dialectal) A companion; mate (male or female).

    Synonyms:

    babber, billy, bredrin, bruv, bud, buddo, buddy, butty, chaver, china

11. (obsolete) A darling, sweetheart (male or female).
    • I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heart-string / I love the lovely bully. What is thy name?1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
    • I have promised to be with the sweet bully early in the morning of her important day.1753, Samuel Richardson, “Letter 15”, in The History of Sir Charles Grandison

    Synonyms:

    babber, babe, precious, bae, baby, babycakes, bubba, buttercup, cabbage, chickabiddy

12. (field hockey) 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.

    Synonyms:

    bully-off

13. A miner's hammer.

Verb

bully (third-person singular simple present bullies, present participle bullying, simple past and past participle bullied)

1. (transitive) To intimidate (someone) as a bully.
   • You shouldn't bully people for being weak.
   • I won't have you bullying us out my own house.

   Synonyms:

   buffalo, bulldoze, browbeat, cow, dastardize, daunt, dishearten, do down, domineer, drive

2. (transitive) To act aggressively towards.
   • 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.2011 January 15, Sam Sheringham, “Chelsea 2 -03 Blackburn Rovers”, in BBC

   Synonyms:

   push around, ride roughshod over

Adjective

bully (comparative bullier, superlative bulliest)

1. (US, dated, slang) Very good.
   • a bully horse
   • To sing a bully song I'll try, / Bully for you, bully for you, / Gay as they make them, here I am, / Bully for you, for you.1861, Daniel Bryant, Bryant's Songs from Dixie's Land, page 19

   Synonyms:

   excellent, ace, admirable, amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, badass, broyal, bang on, bang-up

2. (obsolete, slang) Jovial and blustering.
   • Bless thee, bully doctor!1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, act II, scene iii

   Synonyms:

   dashing

Interjection

1. (often) Well done; often sarcastic in modern use.
   • 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.1979, Jerome Alden, Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt, →OCLC, page 3

   Synonyms:

   bravissimo, bravo, cock on, congrats, congratulations, encore, fair fucks, full marks, get you, good for someone