bullying

1 of 2

noun

bul·​ly·​ing ˈbu̇-lē-iŋ How to pronounce bullying (audio)
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 bullyingMichael 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
One of their demands included protection from transphobic bullying, misgendering, and deadnaming, something that is apparently just as applicable to teachers as fellow students. Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 24 Oct. 2024 To Azar, and so many others, the band provided an escape from depression and bullying. Leah Asmelash, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
For instance, kids scored lower on standardized tests in schools with a lot of bullying than kids in schools with effective anti-bullying programs. Sherri Gordon, Parents, 31 July 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for bullying 

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.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1742, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1746, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bullying was in 1742

Dictionary Entries Near bullying

Cite this Entry

“Bullying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bullying. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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.

More from Merriam-Webster on bullying

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!