Link Centre Dictionary

bully

UK/ˈbɵlɪj/ US/ˈbʊli/ fairly common slang us
noun (1) adjective (1) verb (2)

noun

1.

adjective

1.

very good

  • “he did a bully job”
  • “a neat sports car”
  • “had a great time at the party”
  • “you look simply smashing”
Synonyms
Similar

verb

1.

be bossy towards

  • “Her big brother always bullied her when she was young”
Synonyms
2.

Origin

From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive ( + -y) of Dutch boel (“lover; brother”), from Middle Dutch boel, boele (“brother; lover”), from Old Dutch *buolo, from Proto-Germanic *bōlô (compare Middle Low German bôle (“brother”), Middle High German buole (“brother; close relative; close relation”) (whence German Buhle (“lover”)), Old English Bōla, Bōlla (personal name), diminutive of expressive *bō- (“brother, father”). Compare also Latvian bālinš (“brother”). More at boy. The term acquired a negative connotation during the 17th century; first ‘noisy, blustering fellow’ then ‘a person who is cruel to others’. Possibly influenced by bull (“male cattle”) or via the ‘prostitute's minder’ sense. The positive senses are dated, but survive in phrases such as bully pulpit.

Phrases

  • American bully
  • bastard bully tree
  • bully boy
  • bully pulpit
  • bully stick
  • bully tree
  • bully XL
  • flat-track bully
  • white bully
  • XL bully

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.