Bully synonym,synonyms of bully
Harass
- Similarities: Both "bully" and "harass" involve causing distress or trouble to others in an inappropriate way. They describe actions where one person intentionally bothers or annoys another repeatedly. For example, a person who bullies or harasses a classmate might make their life difficult by constantly teasing or pestering them.
- Differences: "Harass" often implies a pattern of behavior that is more about annoying or bothering someone, and it may not always involve the element of using power or strength to intimidate like "bully" does. "Harass" can include a wider range of actions such as making unwanted phone calls, sending offensive messages, or creating a hostile environment in general. "Bully" usually has a stronger connotation of using one's power or size advantage to intimidate or dominate others.
Intimidate
- Similarities: Both "bully" and "intimidate" involve making someone else feel afraid or threatened. When a person bullies or intimidates another, they are trying to make the other person feel small or powerless. For instance, a bully might intimidate a younger student by standing over them and making threatening gestures.
- Differences: "Intimidate" is more focused on the act of creating fear or making someone feel threatened. It can be done in various ways, not just through physical means like a bully might. One can intimidate others with words, looks, or by showing one's authority in a threatening way. "Bully" often implies a more continuous and repeated pattern of behavior, and it may involve more than just intimidation; it can also include actions like taking away someone's things or physically harming them.
Torment
- Similarities: "Bully" and "torment" both involve causing pain or suffering to someone. A bully may torment their victim by doing things that are emotionally or physically painful, such as teasing, hitting, or excluding them from social activities.
- Differences: "Torment" emphasizes the aspect of causing extreme distress or suffering. It can be used to describe a more intense level of cruelty or persecution. While a bully might engage in tormenting behavior, "torment" can also be used in situations where there isn't necessarily a power imbalance like in the case of a bully. For example, someone can be tormented by their own thoughts or by a difficult situation. "Bully" is more about one person exerting power over another in a negative way.
Oppress
- Similarities: Both "bully" and "oppress" involve using power in a negative way to control or harm others. When a group or an individual bullies or oppresses others, they are using their power to make the lives of those being targeted more difficult.
- Differences: "Oppress" is usually used in a more serious and large-scale context. It often refers to systems or groups that use their power to keep others down, such as in cases of social or political oppression. It implies a more systematic and long-term abuse of power. "Bully" is more commonly used to describe the actions of individuals or small groups towards others in a more personal or local setting. For example, a dictator might oppress a nation, while a schoolyard bully oppresses their classmates.
Bulldoze
- Similarities: In a figurative sense, "bulldoze" can have a similar meaning to "bully" in that it implies using force or power to push something or someone aside. A person who bullies or bulldozes others is not taking into account the feelings or wishes of others and is forcing their way through.
- Differences: "Bulldoze" originally refers to the action of using a bulldozer to push things away or flatten them. Figuratively, it often means to push through obstacles or opposition forcefully and without regard for others' opinions. It may not have the same connotation of intentionally harming or intimidating someone as "bully" does. "Bully" is more about the act of causing harm to a person, while "bulldoze" is more about the forceful way of getting something done, which may or may not involve directly targeting a person in a mean way.