bullo
/ˈbul.lo/masculine
The Italian word for bully is bullo. Wiktionary also lists prepotente.
Meaning: a person who is intentionally cruel to others (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bullo | /ˈbul.lo/ | masculine |
| prepotente | /pre.poˈtɛn.te/ | masculine |
The term refers to a person who is intentionally cruel to others. When discussing the phenomenon of bullying itself, use the noun bullismo.
Which one should you use?
While bullo often implies a schoolyard bully or someone acting tough, prepotente is a more general term for an overbearing or domineering person who uses their power or status to dominate others.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural of bullo is bulli. The word prepotente is an invariable adjective in gender, so its plural form for both men and women is prepotenti.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈbul.lo/.
Did you know?
- The word bullo shares a surprising ancestor with the English 'bully', both originating from the Middle High German word buole meaning 'friend' or 'lover'.
- In some Italian youth slang, calling someone a bullo can occasionally be a backhanded compliment for someone who is daring or a 'rebel'.
- While bullo is used for peers, prepotente is often used to describe an abusive boss or a government official who abuses their authority.
Examples in context
- Quel tipo è un bullo.That guy is a bully.This sentence shows how to identify a specific person as a bullo.Tatoeba #4530771 by Guybrush88, translation #4494888 by CK
- So che Tom è un bullo.I know that Tom is a bully.This sentence uses the word bullo to express knowledge about someone's character.Tatoeba #7554565 by Guybrush88, translation #7521267 by CK
- C'è un bullo a scuola.There's a bully at school.This sentence illustrates how to describe the presence of a bullo in a school environment.Tatoeba #11039306 by Guybrush88, translation #6035792 by mailohilohi
- Mio fratello è un bullo, fa sempre scherzi cattivi ai suoi compagni di scuola.My brother is a bully, he always plays mean tricks on his classmates.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are talking about a classmate at the park.
- ChiaraHai visto come ha trattato quel ragazzo?Did you see how he treated that boy?
- MatteoSì, quel bullo è davvero cattivo.Yes, that bully is really mean.
- ChiaraNon dovrebbe comportarsi così con tutti.He shouldn't behave like that with everyone.
- MatteoHai ragione, è un comportamento terribile.You are right, it is terrible behavior.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bully” translations and entries bullo, prepotente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bullo, prepotente, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
