Meaning

2 senses

  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.

    einschüchtern, schikanieren, kujonieren

    запу́гиватьzapúgivatʹ, запуга́тьzapugátʹ, страща́тьstraščátʹ

    хуліганxulihan

  2. (transitive)To act aggressively towards.

    tyrannisieren, drangsalieren, kujonieren

    тиранизи́роватьtiranizírovatʹ, задира́тьzadirátʹ, задра́тьzadrátʹ

    be bossy towards

Examples

459 sentences

  1. Go and beat up that bully.

    Іди і побий цього хулігана. — Anjy

    ruИди и наваляй этому хулигану. — odexed

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. Tom gets bullied all the time.

    Тома постійно цькують. — deniko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Tom has been getting bullied at school.

    Тома цькують у школі. — deniko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Tom is being bullied by Mary.

    Мері цькує Тома. — deniko

    ruМэри задирает Тома. — Karok

    deTom wird von Maria schikaniert. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    Spamster · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Tom was bullied by the other boys.

    Інші хлопці цькували Тома. — deniko

    deTom wurde von den anderen Jungen geärgert. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    Hybrid · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

8 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
to intimidate:
Русский
By meaning 2
to intimidate:
to act aggressively towards:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
to intimidate:
to act aggressively towards:

Origin

From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive ( + -y) of Dutch boel (“lover; b

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.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

bullies, bullying, bullied, bullied
Base formbully · to bully
3rd person singularbullies
Present participlebullying
Past simplebullied
Past participlebullied

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theybully
he, she, itbullies

Past simpleLesson

all personsbullied

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave bullied
he, she, ithas bullied

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill bully

Synonyms

21 synonyms
cowA1dauntC1driveA2menaceC2buffalobulldozebrowbeatdastardizedisheartendo downdomineerhectorintimidatestrong-arm
Close in meaning

Word family

2 related words
Derivedbullyableoutbully

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

Collocations

12 patterns
  • bullied at school
  • being being bullied
  • got bullied at
  • got bullied
  • was a bully
  • being bullied at
  • bullied in school
  • often got bullied
  • was often bullied
  • often bullied
  • was bullied when
  • has been bullying

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
bulwarkbumB2

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

bully — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto