bully

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“
An individual who finds himself the target of a bully is advised not to fight back. “Don†™ t bully a bully, †Harriett said. “Don†™ t show anger or fear. â€

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Definitions (34)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (12)

  1. noun A person who is habitually cruel or overbearing, especially to smaller or weaker people.
  2. noun A hired ruffian; a thug.
  3. noun A pimp.
9 more from this dictionary »

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (12)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (5)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (5)

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Examples (50)

  • An individual who finds himself the target of a bully is advised not to fight back. “Don†™ t bully a bully, †Harriett said. “Don†™ t show anger or fear. †—  Top Stories @ The Derrick
  • Although, he waited until the bully was asleep and then hit him in the back. guest, Mar 05, 2009 11: 51AM —  Dealbreaker
  • (I particularly like how Ross's response to being called a bully is to threaten to beat the guy up) —  Multi Medium
  • Randy explains that his bully is about so tall, so wide, and, cupping his hands, about a 32C. —  TV Fodder
  • In the current system of "the bully is a victim too" mentality, there is not going to be effective correction and so students will stop speaking up because it only makes things worse. —  digg.com: Stories / Popular
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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

liar ·  ruffian ·  drunkard ·  thug ·  brute ·  thief ·  traitor ·  scoundrel ·  tyrant ·  villain ·  bastard ·  impostor

Used in the same contextWord Family

bully:   bullied ·  bullying ·  bullies
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (7)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. Possibly from Middle Dutch boele, sweetheart, probably alteration of broeder, brother; see bhrāter- in Indo-European roots.
  2. Perhaps French bouilli, boiled meat, label on canned beef, from past participle of bouillir, to boil, from Old French boilir; see boil1.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (5)

  1. from bully, n.
  2. Origin obscure.
  3. French bouilli, boiled beef: see bouilli. The English use is prob. often associated with bull.
  4. An assumed singular of bullis (sometimes written bullies), a form of bullace, q. v.
  5. Prob. a different application, alluding to the similar fruit, of bully, either directly or in the compound bully-tree.
 

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/ˈbəli/
by American Heritage

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