What does bully mean?
A bully is a person who repeatedly intimidates, threatens, or mistreats others, especially those seen as weaker, smaller, or less able to defend themselves. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social — ranging from name-calling and exclusion to coercion and extortion — and it is now recognized as a serious problem in schools and workplaces alike. The word also functions as a verb ('to bully someone into silence') and appears in established phrases such as 'bully pulpit,' which denotes a prominent public platform for advocacy, a coinage associated with Theodore Roosevelt. Curiously, the word's history runs opposite to its modern force: in sixteenth-century English a bully was a sweetheart or fine fellow, before the sense degraded toward swaggering ruffian and then habitual aggressor. Today the term is firmly negative and widely understood across the English-speaking world, making it an essential word in discussions of power, cruelty, and standing up for oneself.
A person who habitually seeks to harm, intimidate, or coerce those who are weaker or more vulnerable.
"Nobody wanted to cross the playground bully and his gang of followers."
Frequently used in compounds such as 'school bully,' 'workplace bully,' and 'cyberbully.'
To intimidate, threaten, or mistreat someone repeatedly, often to force them to do something against their will.
"He accused his manager of bullying staff into working unpaid overtime."
(dated, chiefly US) An exclamation of approval or admiration, as in 'bully for you!'
"'You landed the job? Bully for you!' she said warmly."
Archaic today; encountered mostly in older American writing and period drama.
Standard plural following the y-to-ies pattern for nouns ending in consonant + y.
"The school's anti-harassment program aims to give victims a safe way to report bullies."
In the sixteenth century, 'bully' meant 'sweetheart' or 'darling' — one of English's most dramatic reversals, from compliment to insult.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bully
Bully entered English in the mid-sixteenth century, likely from Dutch 'boel,' meaning lover or brother, though its ultimate origin remains uncertain. It originally denoted a sweetheart or gallant, but within a century its meaning had deteriorated through 'fine fellow' and 'swaggering blade' to 'hired ruffian' and eventually the modern sense of a habitual intimidator. No secure cognates beyond the Dutch source are generally agreed upon, so the word stands largely alone among English vocabulary with no shared classical root.
Related word forms
How bully is actually used
The word carries strongly negative connotations in modern usage, referring to intimidation and abuse of power. The dated American sense meaning 'excellent' survives mainly in the exclamation 'bully for you!' and the phrase 'bully pulpit' (a prominent public platform, coined from Theodore Roosevelt's usage). As a verb, to bully means to intimidate or mistreat someone habitually.
Easily confused with bully
Belly refers to the abdomen or stomach, while bully refers to a person who intimidates others; they share a similar sound but nothing else.