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

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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

The bullying stretched on for about two years — until the FBI cracked the case. —Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025

The agency, plagued by reports of bullying and labor law breaches, has long been criticized for lacking transparency because it is not bound by any freedom-of-information laws. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Fans have become so invested in the series’ twisted love triangle at the heart of the plot that creator Jenny Han issued an anti-bullying message. —Jodi Guglielmi, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025

As a direct result of the case, the school district adopted a sweeping set of anti-bullying and suicide prevention policies specifically designed to protect LGBTQ+ students. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025

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.