From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive ( + -y) of Dutch boel, from Middle Dutch boel, boele ("brother; lover"), from odt *buolo, from Proto-Germanic *bōlô (compare Middle Low German bôle, Middle High German buole (whence German Buhle (“lover”)), Old English Bōla, Bōlla, diminutive of expressive *bō- ("brother, father").

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.

• IPA: /ˈbʊli/

bully

1. A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those whom they perceive as being vulnerable or of less power or privilege. [from late 17th c.]

   A playground bully pushed a girl off the swing.

   I noticed you being a bully towards people with disabilities.

2. A noisy, blustering, tyrannical person, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome.
3. A hired thug.

   Synonyms: henchman, thug

   • 1849, John McLean, Notes of a Twenty-Five Years' Service in the Hudson's Bay Territory ↗, pages 42–3 ↗:

     Mr. Fisher returned from town... he had learnt that our opponents intended to shift the scene of operations to the Chats... We understood that they had hired two bullies for the purpose of deciding the matter par voie de fait. Mr Fisher hired two of the same description, who were supposed to be more than a match for the opposition party.

4. A sex worker's minder.

   Synonyms: pimp, Thesaurus:pimp

   • 2009, Dan Cruikshank, Secret History of Georgian London, Random House, page 473:

     The Proclamation Society and the Society for the Suppression of Vice were more concerned with obscene literature […] than with hands-on street battles with prostitutes and their bullies […].

5. (uncountable) Bully beef.
6. (obsolete) A brisk, dashing fellow.
   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene i]:

     What sayest thou, Bully Bottom?

7. The small scrum in the Eton College field game.
8. Any of various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae; sleeper goby.
9. (obsolete or dialectal, Irish and Northern England) An (eldest) brother; a fellow workman; comrade
10. (dialectal) A companion; mate .

    Synonyms: Thesaurus:friend

11. (obsolete) A darling, sweetheart .

    Synonyms: Thesaurus:sweetheart

    • 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene i]:

      I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heart-string / I love the lovely bully. What is thy name?

12. (field hockey) A standoff between two players from the opposing teams, who repeatedly hit each other's hockey sticks and then attempt to acquire the ball, as a method of resuming the game in certain circumstances.

    Synonyms: bully-off

13. (mining) A miner's hammer.

• French: brimeur, brute, tyran
• German: Rabauke, Bully, Tyrann, Schikaneur
• Italian: bullo, spaccone, smargiasso, prepotente, arrogante
• Portuguese: rufia, rufião, valentão
• Russian: зади́ра
• Spanish: bravucón, abusón, matón, abusador, peleón, pendenciero, perdonavidas, matasiete, buleador

• Russian: головоре́з
• Spanish: matón, sicario

bully (bullies, present participle bullying; simple past and past participle bullied)

1. (transitive) To intimidate (someone) as a bully.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:intimidate

   You shouldn't bully people for being weak.

   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC ↗, page 218:

     Bradly's stomach kinked in on itself, thinking of Cora struck silly with that corpse on her hands and the copper bullying the truth out of her.

2. (transitive) To act aggressively towards.

   Synonyms: push around, ride roughshod over

• French: intimider
• German: einschüchtern, schikanieren, kujonieren
• Portuguese: intimidar, bulir, oprimir
• Russian: запу́гивать
• Spanish: intimidar, chulear, acosar, hacer bullying, matonear, bulear

• French: tourmenter, terroriser, maltraiter, tyranniser, harceler
• German: tyrannisieren, drangsalieren, kujonieren
• Portuguese: atormentar, aterrorizar, maltratar, tiranizar, oprimir
• Russian: тиранизи́ровать
• Spanish: tiranizar, acosar

bully (comparative bullier, superlative bulliest)

1. (US, slang) Very good.

   Synonyms: excellent, Thesaurus:excellent

   a bully horse

2. (slang, obsolete) Jovial and blustering.

   Synonyms: dashing

   • 1597, William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, act II, scene iii:

     Bless thee, bully doctor!

• French: génial, top
• Portuguese: valente

1. (often, followed by for) Well done!

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:well done

   Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!

• French: bravo
• Portuguese: bravo
• Spanish: bravo