bullying Definition

bully¹
noun

bullies
1. A person who hurts, frightens or torments weaker or smaller people.

Thesaurus: ruffian, tough, tyrant.

verb bullied, bullying

1. To act like a bully towards someone; to threaten or persecute them.
2. To force them to do something they do not want to do.

Thesaurus: browbeat, coerce, intimidate.
Form: bully someone into something (usually)

adj, exclamation

1. dated, colloq
Excellent; very good.

Derivative: bullying
noun

Idiom: bully for you!

colloq, now usually ironic
Good for you! well done!

Etymology: 16c, originally meaning ‘sweetheart', but by the 18c ‘ruffian' or bully boy: from Dutch boele lover.

---

bully³
verb

intr
bullies, bullied, bullying
1. hockey., formerly
To begin or restart a game by performing a bully or bully-off, a move involving hitting one's stick three times against an opponent's before going for the ball. Now called pass-back.
Form: bully off (usually)

Etymology: 19c.