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A bully is a person who harasses, abuses, intimidates, or coerces people, especially those with less power than they have or those considered weaker or vulnerable in some way. The word often implies that such behavior is repeated or habitual.��

Bully can also be a verb meaning to treat people in this way (to act as a bully toward them), as in The man who used to bully his classmates in school is now teaching children how not to bully others. Someone who is treated in this way is said to be bullied. The act of treating people in this way is called bullying.��

Bullies are primarily associated with school settings involving kids, but adults can be considered bullies as well. The most familiar form of a bully depicted in popular culture is the neighborhood or schoolyard bully, usually a physically strong or large child or teenager who uses their size to bully smaller, younger, or more timid kids. Famous fictional bullies that fit this profile include Biff Tannen from Back to the Future and Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons. However, the understanding of what constitutes bullying has evolved and broadened to encompass behavior that involves not just physical but emotional abuse and manipulation.��

Many studies have shown that bullying has long-lasting emotional and psychological effects, and many organized efforts and campaigns are devoted to preventing bullying in schools and elsewhere. The word cyberbully is used as a noun and a verb in the context of bullying that happens online.��

Bully can also be used a bit more generally to mean to force or coerce someone into doing something, as in The trainer bullied me into signing up for an expensive gym membership.��

An entirely different (and much less common) use of bully is as an adjective to describe something as great or excellent, as in What a bully day! It’s also used as an interjection meaning “Great!” or “Well done!” as in Bully for you: you got all A’s on your report card! These uses of the word are now typically considered old-fashioned.��

Example: Our school has a zero tolerance policy for bullying—bullies are immediately suspended.

The first records of bully come from around 1530. It comes from the Middle Dutch word boele, which means “lover.” At that time, bully was used in English to mean “sweetheart.” Its use then became more general, coming to mean “fine fellow,” and, eventually, the opposite: “swaggering coward.” Bully began to be used in this sense around the 1700s.��

Bully as an interjection meaning “Great!” is especially associated with U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, and in fact he is thought to have introduced the term bully pulpit.

What are some other forms related to bully?

• bullying (continuous tense verb, noun)

What are some synonyms for bully?

• tormentor
• oppressor
• tyrant
• coerce
• harass

What are some words that share a root or word element with bully?��

• cyberbully
• bully pulpit

What are some words that often get used in discussing bully?

• power
• weak
• pick on
• harass
• abuse
• intimidation
• prevention

Bullies and bullying are primarily associated with children, but the word is also used in reference to adults. Bullying is treated as a serious problem in schools and online, especially due to the lasting effects it can have on those who are bullied.

Academic bullying is a major problem. After reporting my own abuse to the dean in my first grad program 8y ago, my bully was promoted and I was pushed to leave. I left science for years; my career is only now recovering. I am not alone. Neither are you.

— Amy Gill (@biochemnerd)

I was bullied for years at school and it had a massive impact on my mental health. Years later I feel like I've only just really recovered. I am supporting this weeks campaign. Please dont be afraid to speak out if you're struggling.

— Fran Prison RD (@FranWaldock)

TikTok hired some of its best animators for an anti-bullying campaign

— The Verge (@verge)

True or False?��

The word bully always refers to a child.