Synonyms of bullies

bullies 1 of 2

noun

plural of bully

1

as in enemies

a person who teases, threatens, or hurts smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable persons

the school has a procedure for students who want to report problems with bullies

Synonyms & Similar Words

• enemies
• intimidators
• abusers
• harassers
• thugs
• bullyboys
• torturers
• gangsters
• hectors
• oppressors
• antagonists
• hoodlums
• toughs
• hecklers
• hooligans
• ruffians
• persecutors
• punks
• rowdies
• mockers
• goons
• taunters
• racketeers
• hoods
• roughs
• baiters
• roughnecks
• harriers
• mobsters
• felons
• ridiculers
• cutthroats
• teasers
• teases
• toughies
• gunmen
• gibers
• needlers
• mugs

2

as in thugs

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thugs
• criminals
• villains
• gangsters
• bandits
• pirates
• thieves
• assassins
• offenders
• hoodlums
• ruffians
• hooligans
• toughs
• punks
• rowdies
• gorillas
• goons
• mobsters
• roughnecks
• hoods
• yobs
• perpetrators
• gangbangers
• yobbos
• gangstas
• toughies
• scoundrels
• plug-uglies
• robbers
• crooks
• outlaws
• cutthroats
• vandals
• lawbreakers
• brigands
• felons
• desperadoes
• mugs
• racketeers
• highwaymen
• swindlers
• malefactors
• gunmen
• mafiosi
• pickpockets
• perps
• juvenile delinquents
• bravos
• tearaways

bullies

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bully

1

as in abuses

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon

the kindergarten teacher explained why it was wrong to bully classmates

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abuses
• tortures
• mistreats
• maltreats
• brutalizes
• oppresses
• injures
• misuses
• persecutes
• hurts
• manhandles
• ill-treats
• takes apart
• violates
• ill-uses
• harasses
• torments
• messes over
• mishandles
• outrages
• molests
• harms
• victimizes
• wrongs
• kicks around
• works (over)
• sandbags
• beats (up)
• burns
• roughs (up)
• messes (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cares (for)
• fosters
• nurtures
• cherishes
• babies
• favors
• caters (to)
• spoils
• indulges
• gratifies
• pampers
• humors
• mollycoddles
• coddles

2

as in intimidates

to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats

the manager was fired for bullying employees

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intimidates
• frightens
• scares
• strong-arms
• browbeats
• cows
• startles
• coerces
• bulldozes
• badgers
• harasses
• shocks
• pressures
• bogarts
• bullyrags
• picks on
• hectors
• threatens
• blackjacks
• menaces
• spooks
• terrifies
• blusters
• terrorizes
• forces
• horrifies
• alarms
• hounds
• affrights
• bludgeons
• upsets
• compels
• trash-talks
• distresses
• unmans
• disturbs
• constrains
• demoralizes
• disconcerts
• obliges
• unnerves
• presses
• disquiets
• discomposes
• perturbs
• dragoons
• psychs (out)
• pushes around
• makes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cheers
• reassures
• comforts
• consoles
• soothes
• encourages
• steels
• convinces
• emboldens
• solaces
• persuades
• heartens

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bullies

Noun

The Pratts are in serious crisis, besieged by bullies and bad neighbors outside of their house and foundation-crumbling dysfunction inside it. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

In a fit of rage a couple of nights later, Kimmel grabbed his father’s handgun, found the truck of bullies responsible, and blocked them in. — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Just quash that bill and stop playing with the bullies on the playground. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026

All Balogun playing did was make the Americans seem like bullies who just lost the fight as everyone else howled laughter. — Miami Herald, 7 July 2026

Including some rather nasty, big corpo bullies who enlist specialist teams to hunt down clues, and other players, too. — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 July 2026

Multiple hospital stays became fodder for school bullies, who also ridiculed his size. — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Ben Silverstone gives a moving performance as teenage Steven, who spends the film fighting bullies and breakups on the path to self-acceptance. — Rachel Simon, Vulture, 19 June 2026

Even the would-be bullies benefit from McCarthy’s overarching refusal to flatten people into PSA talking points. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 June 2026

Verb

Williams called Valkyries fans bullies in an Instagram Live stream earlier this week, and by Friday night, Chase Center had the receipts. — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 20 June 2026

Sweden’s Hien had no idea how to stop Brobbey’s darting runs when looking to connect with crosses from out wide and the striker routinely bullies bigger boys before either scoring or creating for others. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 20 June 2026

The Pledge is meaningless if the president of the United States lies to us, divides us, bullies us and steals from us. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026

Collective action deters bullies Harvard never stood alone. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026

There’s always a mean kid in your class who bullies everybody else. — Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026

The Bullies Versus The Bullied Studies show that men make up around 65% to 70% of workplace bullies overall, which researchers argue is in alignment with broader power disparities, as men continue to hold a majority of senior leadership roles. — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Henry Bowers is the local punk who relentlessly bullies the Losers' Club and later falls under the spell of Pennywise. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Dec. 2025

Cipher bullies other characters across the season about their powers, but because of Andre and Polarity’s degenerative abilities, this underscores the eugenics behind his beliefs. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025