Pronunciation: /ˈbʊli/

Definitions of bully

noun a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker

Example Sentences

A1 The bully at school took my lunch money.

A2 She was being bullied by a group of girls in her class.

B1 The company has a zero-tolerance policy for workplace bullies.

B2 The bully's behavior towards his peers was unacceptable and needed to be addressed.

C1 The bully's actions were a reflection of his own insecurities and lack of empathy.

C2 The bully's behavior was a result of deep-rooted psychological issues that needed professional intervention.

verb to use strength or power to harm or intimidate others

Example Sentences

A1 He bullies his little sister by taking her toys.

A2 The students were told to report any bullying behavior to the teacher.

B1 The manager was accused of bullying his employees into working overtime.

B2 She was bullied in high school for being different, but now she embraces her uniqueness.

C1 The politician was criticized for using his power to bully smaller countries into unfair trade agreements.

C2 The CEO's aggressive tactics were seen as a way to bully competitors out of the market.

Examples of bully in a Sentence

formal The school has a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of bully behavior.

informal I heard that Peter is being a bully to some of the younger kids at school.

slang Don't be such a bully, just let me have a turn on the video game.

figurative The dark clouds seemed to bully the sun into hiding behind them.

Grammatical Forms of bully

past tense

bullied

plural

bullies

comparative

more bully

superlative

most bully

present tense

bully

future tense

will bully

perfect tense

have bullied

continuous tense

is bullying

singular

bully

positive degree

bully

infinitive

to bully

gerund

bullying

participle

bullying

Origin and Evolution of bully

First Known Use: 1530 year
Language of Origin: Dutch
Story behind the word: The word 'bully' originated from the Dutch word 'boel', which means lover or brother.
Evolution of the word: Originally, 'bully' referred to a sweetheart or good friend. Over time, the word's meaning shifted to describe someone who uses strength or power to intimidate others.