What does bulliest mean?
"Bulliest" is the superlative form of the adjective "bully," and its history is a story of two very different meanings colliding. In the informal English of the sixteenth through early twentieth centuries, "bully" meant excellent or first-rate — likely from Dutch "boel" (lover, brother) — so calling something "the bulliest" once ranked it as the finest of its kind, especially in American slang of the late nineteenth century. Today that sense survives mainly in period writing and nostalgic dialogue. Separately, because "bully" now overwhelmingly denotes someone who habitually intimidates or mistreats weaker people, "bulliest" can be read literally as the superlative of that sense: the most bullying in character. The word is therefore rare and context-dependent: readers encountering it should judge whether the writer means "best" in an old-fashioned way or "most like a bully." Its decline shows how a single word's connotations can reverse almost completely over four centuries.
Superlative of "bully" (dated informal): most excellent, splendid, or first-rate.
"That was the bulliest dinner we'd had all year, Ma said, wiping her hands on her apron."
Chiefly historical or used for deliberate old-time flavor; rare outside period writing.
Most characteristic of a bully; most inclined to intimidate or mistreat others.
"He was the bulliest kid on the playground, feared by every younger child."
Transparent but uncommon; speakers more often write "biggest bully" or "most bullying."
Before it meant cruelty, "bully" meant sweetheart — so calling something "the bulliest" was once high praise, not an insult.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bulliest
As a superlative of "bully," the word inherits two strands. The positive sense traces to "bully" in its older meaning of excellent, which entered English in the seventeenth century, probably from the Dutch "boel" meaning lover or sweetheart, later shifting to mean fine or admirable in informal use. The negative strand derives from the same root after "bully" came to signify a harasser, giving "bulliest" its literal sense of most inclined to intimidation. Related forms include "bullier," "bullied," and "bullying."
Related word forms
How bulliest is actually used
"Bulliest" in its positive sense is strongly dated and now chiefly found in historical fiction or period dialogue from late 19th- and early 20th-century American speech. The literal sense relating to bullying behavior is transparent but rare, since speakers usually phrase the idea with "most bullying" or "biggest bully" instead.
Easily confused with bulliest
As a verb, "bully" means to intimidate or mistreat someone, whereas "bulliest" is an adjective — either the superlative of the dated word for "excellent" or describing the person who bullies the most.