Entry Word: bully

Function: noun

Meaning: 1 a person who teases, threatens, or hurts smaller or weaker persons <the bully spent most of the afternoon in detention for pushing people down on the playground>

Synonyms intimidator

Related Words antagonist, enemy; harrier, nuisance, persecutor, pest, tease, teaser; heckler; goon, hood, hoodlum, punk, rough, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, thug, tough; cutthroat, felon, gangster, gunman, mobster, racketeer

2 a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang <the local loan shark and his bullies have ways of making people pay up> — see hoodlum