What does bullied mean?
To be bullied is to have been subjected to persistent intimidation, humiliation, or mistreatment by someone who is stronger, older, or otherwise in a position of power. The word is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'bully', and it appears most often in discussions of schoolyard cruelty, workplace harassment, and online abuse. It can also describe coercion more broadly, as when someone is 'bullied into' making a decision they would not otherwise have made. Because bullying implies repetition and an imbalance of power rather than a single conflict, the word carries a distinctly negative connotation and signals sustained victimisation. Interestingly, the root word has a surprising history: in sixteenth-century English, 'bully' meant sweetheart or darling, before its meaning darkened over time. Today 'bullied' is central to conversations about mental health, safeguarding, and social behaviour, making it an important word for understanding modern discussions of interpersonal harm.
Past tense and past participle of 'bully': intimidated, harassed, or mistreated (someone), especially persistently and by someone perceived as more powerful.
"New employees were bullied by their supervisor until HR finally stepped in."
Most frequently used in the passive voice ('was bullied'), which foregrounds the victim's experience.
Describing someone who has been subjected to bullying or coercive pressure.
"The charity supports bullied teenagers and their families."
Pressured or coerced into doing something through intimidation or persistent demands.
"She refused to be bullied into changing her testimony."
The word 'bully' originally meant 'sweetheart' — so a 16th-century suitor calling you his bully was being romantic, not menacing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bullied
The word traces back to 'bully', which entered English in the early 16th century, likely from the Dutch 'boel', meaning lover or brother. Its original English sense was affectionate — a bully was a sweetheart or fine fellow — but by the seventeenth century the meaning had shifted toward a swaggering ruffian, and later still toward one who intimidates the weak. The Dutch 'boel' itself derives from Middle Low German or Middle High German roots related to love, giving it distant Germanic cognates such as German 'Buhle' (lover). The form 'bullied' simply reflects regular English verb inflection of this noun-turned-verb.
Related word forms
How bullied is actually used
'Bullied' carries strongly negative connotations and is most common in discussions of schools, workplaces, and increasingly online environments. In British and American usage alike, it frequently appears in passive constructions ('was bullied') emphasising the victim's experience. The extended sense of being pressured into an action ('bullied into') is well established and often appears in political and business contexts.
Easily confused with bullied
'Bully' is the base verb or noun referring to the person or the act of intimidation, while 'bullied' is its past tense describing someone who has been subjected to that treatment.