BULLY Synonyms: 318 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'bully' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of bully are browbeat , bulldoze , cow , and intimidate . While all these words mean "to frighten into submission," bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior. // bullied into giving up their lunch money

Q: When could 'browbeat' be used to replace 'bully'?

While the synonyms browbeat and bully are close in meaning, browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment. // browbeat the witness into a contradiction

Q: In what contexts can 'bulldoze' take the place of 'bully'?

In some situations, the words bulldoze and bully are roughly equivalent. However, bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats. // bulldozed the city council into approving the plan

Q: When might 'cow' be a better fit than 'bully'?

The synonyms cow and bully are sometimes interchangeable, but cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost. // not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business

Q: When is it sensible to use 'intimidate' instead of 'bully'?

The words intimidate and bully can be used in similar contexts, but intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another. // intimidated by so many other bright freshmen

bully 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of bully

as in prime

of the very best kind that's a bully idea for reviving the town's retail center

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bully

2 of 3

noun

ˈbu̇-lē

as in enemy

a person who teases, threatens, or hurts smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable persons the school has a procedure for students who want to report problems with bullies

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in thug

a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang the local loan shark and his bullies have ways of making people pay up

Synonyms & Similar Words

bully

3 of 3

verb

as in to abuse

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon the kindergarten teacher explained why it was wrong to bully classmates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to intimidate

to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats the manager was fired for bullying employees

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word bully different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of bully are browbeat, bulldoze, cow, and intimidate. While all these words mean "to frighten into submission," bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior.

bullied into giving up their lunch money

When could browbeat be used to replace bully?

While the synonyms browbeat and bully are close in meaning, browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment.

browbeat the witness into a contradiction

In what contexts can bulldoze take the place of bully?

In some situations, the words bulldoze and bully are roughly equivalent. However, bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats.

bulldozed the city council into approving the plan

When might cow be a better fit than bully?

The synonyms cow and bully are sometimes interchangeable, but cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost.

not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business

When is it sensible to use intimidate instead of bully?

The words intimidate and bully can be used in similar contexts, but intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another.

intimidated by so many other bright freshmen

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bully

Noun

Picking up five years after the events of the second season, the former high school bully took over his father’s construction company. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026 Elordi played high school bully Nate, who in Season 3 dealt with some goons who tormented him and brutally physically assaulted him. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 July 2026

Verb

His distance from Henry was painfully emphasized when his son got in trouble for bullying another classmate, and the idea of Michelle (Andrea Anders) getting engaged to someone else sent him into a tailspin. — Rachel Labonte, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 As Southampton’s Cyle Larin showed in April’s 5-1 thrashing, the defence is susceptible to being bullied physically at times. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bully

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bully

Adjective

This marks mainland Europe's first total eclipse since 1999, with the path of totality sweeping from Russia, across the Arctic, Greenland, and Iceland, before culminating in Spain, a prime viewing destination.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
The prime way to see the movie is through 70mm IMAX — delivering an ultrasharp, massive physical film image with a taller aspect ratio that reveals up to 40% more picture than cropped digital or standard digital screens.

— Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of prime

Noun

Friday is here and that means all you Competitive Wordle players, playing against your friends, co-workers, rivals, enemies, or against me or the Wordle Bot, must double your points, whether positive or negative.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Months turned into years, and on August 6, 1945, Kakita and his brother heard of an enemy aircraft sighting.

— Rina Nakano, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of enemy

Verb

Reports that federal immigration enforcement agencies have accessed Flock data, dozens of officers have abused the system to stalk women, and police have logged hundreds of searches related to protest activity sparked successive waves of backlash.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
Instead, the Children's Trust was used and abused by the Kittrells for exclusively their own purposes and in fact the Kittrells treat the trust assets for nearly all purposes as their own.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

Lemon and several other journalists have been charged with violating the FACE Act, which prohibits people from intimidating or interfering with individuals’ constitutional right to the freedom of religion.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Survivor Series 2003 featured a match starring the gigantic, intimidating wrestler known as The Undertaker.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of intimidate

Adjective

If cultural norms do shape footballing identities, that gap may help explain why the Spanish game has historically placed a greater premium on collective structures than some of its European neighbours.

— Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
His greatest series let people see a character who has revealed the filthiest, most shameful parts of themselves, and imagine them as a mirror.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of great

Noun

The second is the idea that this is where Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch returns to the MCU after being seemingly killed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she had been turned into a full villain.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
But because Detroit chose the offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Skubal has unwittingly become a villain around the league.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of villain

Browse Nearby Words

bullwhips

bully

bullyboy

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“Bully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bully. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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