Etymologically
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English

bully

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈbʊli/ (Received Pronunciation, US, Australia)[1]

Etymology

First recorded in 1538 as a term of endearment,[2][3] of uncertain origin;[4] probably borrowed from Middle Dutch boele (“lover”),[2][5] perhaps an alteration of broeder “brother”.[6][4] Compare Middle High German buole “lover”.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

“Sweetheart, darling”, a term of endearment applied to either sex.[4][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 17th century the meaning deteriorated through “fine fellow” and “blusterer” to “harasser of the weak” (1680s).[4][3] The change may have been influenced by bull, or may have passed through the sense “protector of a prostitute”, though that is not recorded until 1706.[4][3] “Sweetheart” words often decline in this way.[4] The adjective “worthy, admirable” keeps the earlier positive sense,[4][3] and survives in bully for you! (from 1864)[4][3] and bully pulpit (1909).[3]

Timeline

  • 1538 – “sweetheart, darling”.[2][3]
  • 1609 – adjective “excellent, first-rate”.[2]
  • 1680s – “blustering gallant”, then “tyrannical harasser of the weak”.[4][3]
  • 1706 – “protector of a prostitute”.[4][3]
  • 1710 – verb, “to treat in an overbearing manner”.[4][3]
  • 1864 – Bully for you!, “bravo!”.[4][3]
  • 1909 – bully pulpit.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person who habitually intimidates or is cruel to those smaller or weaker.[6][2][5][1]
  2. A hired ruffian.[6][2][5][1]

Verb

  1. To intimidate or treat abusively.[6][2][5][1]
  2. To force one's way aggressively.[6]

Adjective

  1. (informal) Excellent, first-rate.[6][2][5][1]

Interjection

  1. Well done!; often sarcastic in modern use.[5][1]

Word family

  • bullying
  • bully-boy, bully pulpit
  • cyberbully

Related words

  • bully beef, an unrelated word, probably from French bouilli “boiled (beef)”

References

  1. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  3. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Last edited on 5 October 2026.