Bullies

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbʊliz/

Definitions

1. People who use their power or influence to coerce or intimidate others by instilling fear or distress
2. Individuals who repeatedly impose their will on others through aggressive actions or threats to gain control
3. Persons who use threats or force to dominate others and cause fear

Etymology: In 1530 "bully" was a friendly word. It meant something like "fine fellow" or "sweetheart," and it may have come from a diminutive of Dutch "boel," meaning "lover" or "brother," which traces back through Old Dutch to Proto-Germanic roots for brother or father. The Old English personal name "Bola" belongs to the same family. Over the 1600s the meaning soured. First it shifted to a noisy, blustering swaggerer, and by the 1680s it had come to mean someone who harasses the weak. An earlier term, "bully-ruffian" from the 1650s, may have helped push the change along, and some suggest the influence of "bull," the male cattle, though that link is uncertain. The old friendly sense survives only in set phrases, such as "bully pulpit," a platform for airing strong opinions.

Synonyms: tormentors, harassers, intimidators, oppressors, persecutors

Antonyms: victims, defenders, protectors, supporters, allies