bully
/ˈbʊli/
nounverbadjective
Common
1.n.a cruel and brutal fellow
2.n.a hired thug
3.v.be bossy towards
“Her big brother always bullied her when she was young”
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bully and tough share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. bully means “a cruel and brutal fellow”. tough means “not given to gentleness or sentimentality”. tough is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbʊli/
1.n.a cruel and brutal fellow
2.n.a hired thug
3.v.be bossy towards
“Her big brother always bullied her when she was young”
/ˈtʌf/
1.adj.not given to gentleness or sentimentality
“a tough character”
2.adj.very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution
“a rugged competitive examination”
3.adj.physically toughened
“the tough bottoms of his feet”
| bully | tough | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbʊli/ | /ˈtʌf/ |
| Said | BUUL-ee | tuhf |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb, adjective | adjective, noun |
| Senses | 5 | 12 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | tough, hooligan, ruffian | none recorded |
Full entry for bully · Full entry for tough · More comparisons