bullying

1 of 2

noun

bul·​ly·​ing ˈbu̇-lē-iŋ 

ˈbə-

: abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger, more powerful, etc. : the actions and behavior of a bully

Her own childhood had been made miserable by bullying …

—Michael Holroyd

… underestimates the plain meanness behind the pleasure people take in bullying.

—George F. Will

bullying

2 of 2

adjective

: prone to or characterized by overbearing mistreatment and domination of others

… dominated the program but did so in a bullying manner that made him appear crabbier and more churlish than ever.

—Tom Shales

At his worst, he was just another loud, boorish, bullying … drunk …

—Bartholomew Gill

The bullying husband is … living out a way of being that he learned at home as a child.

—Robert Karen

Examples of bullying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

By March that year, Moseley was reinstated to his position after a third-party investigation did not find evidence that substantiated the bullying claims. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2026

Harbour recently teased more projects to come with Brown after addressing rumors of harassment and bullying prior to filming of the final season of Stranger Things. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026

Adjective

Investigators are still verifying the suspect’s claim, but regional education officials immediately ordered schools to step up anti-bullying campaigns. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 23 June 2026

Readers are encouraged to think about themes of anti-bullying and unity through the story. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1742, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1746, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bullying

• cyberbullying

Legal Definition

bullying

noun

bul·​ly·​ing

ˈbu̇-lē-iŋ, bə-

: acts or written or spoken words intended to intimidate or harass a person or to cause physical harm to a person or his or her property see also cyberbullying

Note: The statutory language used to describe what constitutes bullying differs from state to state.