Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bully” come from?

Bully comes from Dutch boel, derived from Dutch boedel, which traces to Old Dutch buothal and Proto-Germanic bōlô.

bully (English): A person who is intentionally, physically, or...

Definitions

  1. A person who is intentionally, physically, or...

Ancestry of “bully”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchboela lot, bunch; mess, disorderly heap; quarrel
2Dutchboedelestate
3Middle Dutchboedel—
4Old Dutchbuothal—

Words derived from “bully”

  • bullying
  • cyberbullying
  • antibullying
  • cyberbully
  • bullier
  • bullyism
  • nonbullying
  • bullyingly
  • bullyish
  • bulliness
  • bullyable
  • bullylike
  • bullydom
  • outbully
  • e-bullying
  • antibully
  • nonbully
  • bullyproof
  • bullyman
  • bullysome
  • bulliable
  • unbulliable
  • unbullying
  • буллинг
Every word from Old Dutch buothal →