| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| bully1 |
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| SYLLABICATION: | bul·ly |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  b l  |
| NOUN: | Inflected forms: pl. bul·lies
1. A person who is habitually cruel or overbearing, especially to smaller or weaker people. 2. A hired ruffian; a thug. 3. A pimp. 4. Archaic A fine person. 5. Archaic A sweetheart. | | VERB: | Inflected forms: bul·lied, bul·ly·ing, bul·lies
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To treat in an overbearing or intimidating manner. See synonyms at intimidate. 2. To make (one's way) aggressively. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To behave like a bully. 2. To force one's way aggressively or by intimidation: “They bully into line at the gas pump” (Martin Gottfried). | | ADJECTIVE: | Excellent; splendid: did a bully job of persuading the members. | | INTERJECTION: | Used to express approval: Bully for you! | | ETYMOLOGY: | Possibly from Middle Dutch boele, sweetheart, probably alteration of broeder, brother. See bhr ter- in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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