Bullying Terminology

verb to come together as a group in order to target or attack someone or something

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence, in this case indicating the action of coming together on a specific target

• The employees decided to gang up on their boss to demand better working conditions.
• I can't believe they all ganged up on him like that.
• The kids always seem to gang up on the new student in school.
• It feels like life is ganging up on me with all these challenges at once.

verb to take revenge or retaliate against someone

preposition used to indicate the target of the revenge or retaliation

• She decided to get back at her coworker by reporting their unethical behavior to HR.
• I'm going to get back at my brother by hiding his phone.
• I'll get back at that jerk by spreading rumors about him.
• The storm will get back at us for not preparing properly.

verb to cause someone to feel ashamed or embarrassed

adjective feeling ashamed or embarrassed

• She felt humiliated by the public criticism of her work.
• He was humiliated when his friends made fun of him in front of everyone.
• She was totally humiliated when she tripped and fell in front of her crush.
• The defeat in the championship game left the team feeling humiliated and defeated.

verb to frighten or threaten someone in order to make them do what you want

• The defendant's lawyer attempted to intimidate the witness during the cross-examination.
• Don't let them intimidate you, stand your ground.
• Those bullies tried to intimidate me, but I wasn't having it.
• The towering skyscrapers seemed to intimidate the small town visitors.

noun a prank or practical joke where someone's underwear is pulled up sharply from behind

verb to give someone a wedgie

• The school has a strict policy against any form of bullying, including giving someone a wedgie.
• I can't believe he gave me a wedgie in front of everyone at the party!
• I heard she got a massive wedgie while playing basketball with the guys.
• The tight deadline felt like a wedgie, constantly causing discomfort and pressure.

noun a combining form used to create nouns that describe the act of publicly criticizing or ridiculing someone for a particular characteristic or behavior

• Cyberbullying often involves -shaming individuals online.
• I can't believe they're body-shaming her on social media.
• Stop slut-shaming people for their personal choices.
• The tabloids are constantly celebrity-shaming to sell more copies.

noun a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means, typically through social media or messaging platforms

• Cyber bullying is a form of harassment that takes place online through social media platforms or messaging apps.
• Cyber bullying can really hurt someone's feelings, so it's important to think before you post something mean online.
• Don't be a cyber bully and hide behind your screen to say hurtful things to others.
• The internet can be a breeding ground for cyber bullying, with people feeling emboldened to say things they wouldn't in person.