bully
English
Etymology
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 negative senses during the 17th century; first ‘noisy, blustering fellow’ then ‘a person who is cruel to others’. Possibly influenced by bull (“male cattle”) or via the ‘prostitute's minder’ sense.[1] The positive senses are dated, but survive in phrases such as bully pulpit.
Pronunciation
Noun
bully (countable and uncountable, plural bullies)
- A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those who are weaker or have less power. [from late 17th c.]
- A playground bully pushed a girl off the swing.
- I noticed you being a bully towards people with disabilities.
- A noisy, blustering fellow, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome; an insolent, tyrannical fellow.
- 1840 September 22, Lord Palmerston, The Life of Henry John Temple, Viscount of Palmerston[1], 3rd edition, volume 2, published 1871, page 327:
- Besides, bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in; and men of trick and cunning are not always men of desperate resolves.
- A hired thug.
- 1849, John McLean, Notes of a Twenty-Five Years' Service in the Hudson's Bay Territory, pp. 42-3:
- Mr. Fisher returned from town... he had learnt that our opponents intended to shift the scene of operations to the Chats... We understood that they had hired two bullies for the purpose of deciding the matter par voie de fait. Mr Fisher hired two of the same description, who were supposed to be more than a match for the opposition party.
- 1849, John McLean, Notes of a Twenty-Five Years' Service in the Hudson's Bay Territory, pp. 42-3:
- A sex worker’s minder; a pimp.
- 2009, Dan Cruikshank, Secret History of Georgian London, Random House, p. 473:
- The Proclamation Society and the Society for the Suppression of Vice were more concerned with obscene literature […] than with hands-on street battles with prostitutes and their bullies […].
- 2009, Dan Cruikshank, Secret History of Georgian London, Random House, p. 473:
- (uncountable) Bully beef.
- (obsolete) A brisk, dashing fellow.
- c. 1595–1596, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 3, Scene 1:
- What sayest thou, Bully Bottom?
- The small scrum in the Eton College field game.
- Various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace
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if already defined. Add nomul=1 if not defined.); sleeper goby. - (obsolete or dialectal, Ireland and Northern England) An (eldest) brother; a fellow workman; comrade
- 1824, Robert Gilchrist, “The Skipper's Erudition”, in A Collection of Original Local Songs[2], page 11:
- Frae Team Gut to Whitley, we' coals black an' brown
For the Amphitrite loaded, the keel had come down—
But the bullies ower neet had their gobs se oft wet,
That the nyem o' the ship yen an' a' did forget.
- (dialectal) A companion; mate (male or female).
- (obsolete) A darling, sweetheart (male or female).
- c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 4, Scene 1:
- I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heart-string / I love the lovely bully. What is thy name?
- 1753, Samuel Richardson, “Letter 15”, in The History of Sir Charles Grandison:
- I have promised to be with the sweet bully early in the morning of her important day.
- 1848, William Carleton, Fardorougha the Miser[3], page 16:
- What! manim-an—kiss your child, man alive. That I may never, but he looks at the darlin’ as if it was a sod of turf! Throth you’re not worthy of havin’ such a bully.
- (field hockey) A standoff between two players from the opposing teams, who repeatedly hit each other's hockey sticks and then attempt to acquire the ball, as a method of resuming the game in certain circumstances.
- (mining) A miner's hammer.
Synonyms
- (prostitute's minder): see Thesaurus:pimp
- (companion, mate): see Thesaurus:friend
- (darling, sweetheart): see Thesaurus:sweetheart
Translations
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Verb
bully (third-person singular simple present bull, present participle ies, simple past and past participle bullied)
- (transitive) To intimidate (someone) as a bully.
- You shouldn't bully people for being gay.
- (transitive) To act aggressively towards.
- 2011 January 15, Sam Sheringham, “Chelsea 2 -03 Blackburn Rovers”, in BBC[4]:
- The Potters know their strengths and played to them perfectly here, out-muscling Bolton in midfield and bullying the visitors' back-line at every opportunity.
Synonyms
- (intimidate): See Thesaurus:intimidate
- (act aggressively toward): push around, ride roughshod over
Translations
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Adjective
bully (comparative bullier, superlative bulliest)
- (US, slang) Very good; excellent.
- a bully horse
- 1861, Daniel Bryant, Bryant's Songs from Dixie's Land[5], page 19:
- To sing a bully song I'll try, / Bully for you, bully for you, / Gay as they make them, here I am, / Bully for you, for you.
- (slang) Jovial and blustering.
- Synonym: dashing
- 1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor Act II, scene iii:
- Bless thee, bully doctor!
Synonyms
- (excellent): See Thesaurus:excellent
Derived terms
Translations
Interjection
bully
- (often followed by for) Well done!
- Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!
- 1979, Jerome Alden, Bully: An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt, →OCLC, page 3:
- Bully! Bully! Finis coronet opus, “the end crowns all”; “may the last be the best!” By Godfrey it was delightful.
Synonyms
- (Well done!): See Thesaurus:well done
Translations
Further reading
References
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “bully”, in Online Etymology Dictionary, retrieved 2017-05-05.: “Meaning deteriorated 17c. through "fine fellow" and "blusterer" to "harasser of the weak" (1680s, from bully-ruffian, 1650s).”
Dutch
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
bully m (plural bully's)
- (field hockey) bully (way of resuming the game with a standoff between two opposing players who repeatedly hit each other's sticks, then try to gain possession of the ball)
Spanish
Noun
bully m (plural bullies or bully)
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