Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| क्रूर | krūr | /kɾuːɾ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| धौंसबाज | dhaunsbāj | masculine | |
| धौँसिया | dha͠usiyā | masculine |
In Hindi, there are different ways to describe a bully depending on whether you are describing their cruel nature or their specific behavior of intimidation. While क्रूर can be used to refer to a person who is a bully, it is more broadly an adjective used to describe someone's cruel temperament. If you want to specifically describe a person who uses dominance or intimidation to control others, the noun धौंसबाज is more precise. In natural conversation, rather than using a single noun, speakers often use the idiomatic phrase धौंस दिखाना to describe the act of bullying or showing intimidation.
Which one should you use?
The terms differ in their focus: क्रूर is an adjective meaning 'cruel' that describes a person's general nature, whereas धौंसबाज is a more precise noun for a 'bully' or 'intimidator' who specifically uses intimidation. Related verb forms such as दबंगी, धौंसना and धौँसना can be used to express the act of intimidating.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
krūr (/kɾuːɾ/)
Did you know?
- While it now describes a bully, the word क्रूर was used in classical Sanskrit literature to specifically describe the predatory nature of wild animals.
- The term दबंगी is often used in popular Hindi cinema and media to describe a person who acts like a bully or exerts heavy-handed influence.
- The word धौंसबाज is built from धौंस, meaning 'intimidation' or 'bluster', and बाज, a suffix used to describe someone who habitually performs a certain action.
Example sentences for Hindi are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Neha and Vikas are talking about a classmate.
- नेहा Nehaविकास, क्या तुमने उस लड़के को देखा?Vikas, kya tumne us ladke ko dekha?Vikas, did you see that boy?
- विकास Vikasहाँ, वह बहुत क्रूर है।haan, vah bahut kroor hai.Yes, he is such a bully.
- नेहा Nehaवह सबको डराता रहता है।vah sabko darata rehta hai.He keeps scaring everyone.
- विकास Vikasहमें उसकी शिकायत करनी चाहिए।hamein uski shikayat karni chahiye.We should complain about him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bully” translations and entries क्रूर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
