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
Michael Holroyd… underestimates the plain meanness behind the pleasure people take in bullying.—George F. Will
George F. Will
: 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
Tom ShalesAt his worst, he was just another loud, boorish, bullying … drunk …—Bartholomew Gill
Bartholomew GillThe bullying husband is … living out a way of being that he learned at home as a child.—Robert Karen
Robert KarenExamples of bullying in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebCole Kazdin, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
There are reportedly a bunch of motivations behind this, such as the prevalence of social-media bullying, exposure to pornography, and violent content.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Early in the school year, Jo’s mother spoke on the phone with Dykes about some of the bullying and harassment that Jo was experiencing.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
Her mom blames bullying, high school’s inaction March 25, 2024
An LAPD spokesperson had previously said Shaylee had fallen before her death, but few other details were provided.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Why ‘Pick-Me’ Behavior Might Occur The obvious question for any parent is why a child would feel the need to act this way, especially since the behavior is looked down upon by peers, and may lead to bullying and ostracization.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024
These questions catch serious risks to kids’ health like bullying and abuse but leave the routine hazards of living — appropriately — intact for kids to learn on.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
The financial sector is one of the less surprising sources of this high-income bullying.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 28 Mar. 2024
Recent studies show that schools with these clubs show fewer instances of bullying and harassment not just of LGBTQ students, but the student body overall.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
al, 4 Oct. 2022
Her anti-bullying campaign, Be Best, was a blur.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 19 July 2022
Before her time on the board, Collins, who has a master’s in education, worked several short stints in SFUSD and at nonprofit organizations, focusing on anti-bullying programs, curriculum design, peer tutoring and parent engagement, according to her LinkedIn profile.
—Heather Knight, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 May 2021
That's why experts say more anti-bullying intervention is needed – from both parents and schools.
—Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2023
The student then met with the school’s principal and vice principal – an anti-bullying specialist, according to the state school directory – and reported the threats of violence made against her before she was assaulted, according to the lawsuit.
—Celina Tebor, CNN, 13 Feb. 2023
The confidence, the grace and the moral backbone with which Alidoosti has today stood up to a bullying and violent state that has completely lost any semblance of legitimacy did not fall from the sky.
—Hamid Dabashi, CNN, 29 Dec. 2022
Donovan is also working close with Great American Family on Upstanders, his anti-bullying program which will have another assembly in January with RomaDrama.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Nov. 2022
However, the two sides have agreed tentatively to new anti-bullying protections, expanded paid parental leave and some new commuting support.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2022
Noun
Low weight is frequently (incorrectly) conflated with good health, and people in larger bodies are often subjected to bullying, negative stereotypes, and discrimination in the workplace.
—Cole Kazdin, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
There are reportedly a bunch of motivations behind this, such as the prevalence of social-media bullying, exposure to pornography, and violent content.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Early in the school year, Jo’s mother spoke on the phone with Dykes about some of the bullying and harassment that Jo was experiencing.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
Her mom blames bullying, high school’s inaction March 25, 2024
An LAPD spokesperson had previously said Shaylee had fallen before her death, but few other details were provided.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Why ‘Pick-Me’ Behavior Might Occur The obvious question for any parent is why a child would feel the need to act this way, especially since the behavior is looked down upon by peers, and may lead to bullying and ostracization.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 28 Mar. 2024
These questions catch serious risks to kids’ health like bullying and abuse but leave the routine hazards of living — appropriately — intact for kids to learn on.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
The financial sector is one of the less surprising sources of this high-income bullying.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 28 Mar. 2024
Recent studies show that schools with these clubs show fewer instances of bullying and harassment not just of LGBTQ students, but the student body overall.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has reached out about providing funding for mental health and anti-bullying programs, and the board has also received offers from external agencies to help with their threat assessment protocol, DeShazo said.
—al, 4 Oct. 2022
Her anti-bullying campaign, Be Best, was a blur.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 19 July 2022
Before her time on the board, Collins, who has a master’s in education, worked several short stints in SFUSD and at nonprofit organizations, focusing on anti-bullying programs, curriculum design, peer tutoring and parent engagement, according to her LinkedIn profile.
—Heather Knight, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 May 2021
That's why experts say more anti-bullying intervention is needed – from both parents and schools.
—Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2023
The student then met with the school’s principal and vice principal – an anti-bullying specialist, according to the state school directory – and reported the threats of violence made against her before she was assaulted, according to the lawsuit.
—Celina Tebor, CNN, 13 Feb. 2023
The confidence, the grace and the moral backbone with which Alidoosti has today stood up to a bullying and violent state that has completely lost any semblance of legitimacy did not fall from the sky.
—Hamid Dabashi, CNN, 29 Dec. 2022
Donovan is also working close with Great American Family on Upstanders, his anti-bullying program which will have another assembly in January with RomaDrama.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Nov. 2022
However, the two sides have agreed tentatively to new anti-bullying protections, expanded paid parental leave and some new commuting support.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bullying.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bullying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bullying. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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