Added 9 October 2026
bully
/ˈbʊli/ noun
In Latin: grassātor Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bully at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
verb
-
Be bossy towards.
Her big brother always bullied her when she was young
- Discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate.
adjective
Origin
From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive ( + -y) of Dutch boel (“lover; brother”), from Middle Dutch boel, boele (“brother; lover”), from Old Dutch *buolo, from Proto-Germanic *bōlô (compare Middle Low German bôle (“brother”), Middle High German buole (“brother; close relative; close relation”) (whence German Buhle (“lover”)), Old English Bōla, Bōlla (personal name), diminutive of expressive *bō- (“brother, father”). Compare also Latvian bālinš (“brother”). More at boy. The term acquired a negative connotation during the 17th century; first ‘noisy, blustering fellow’ then ‘a person who is cruel to others’.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)