bull
- noun
- /bʊl/
- Informal
- Wexler was built like a small bull, powerful but squat.
- strong as a bull
- raging bull
- bull-necked
Examples
-
Halden, a charismatic bull of a man, emerges from the copter.
Fiction book (1995) -
Apart from that, it becomes a highly personal matter between you and the bull.
Fiction book (1995) -
That's me, a big old bull in a china shop.
Fiction book (1998) -
He was a real bull.
-
He's a real bull, able to lift heavy weights with ease.
-
The coach admired the bull for his strength during the game.
-
At the gym, he was known as the bull because of his large build.
Synonyms
A large strong man who looks tough and ready to fight
A big, strong person who can lift heavy things
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
A clumsy or careless person who causes damage in delicate situations
Doing something suddenly and forcefully without thinking because you are very eager
- Informal
Talk in a relaxed, joking way and make stories bigger to be funny
Compounds
- Specialized
A time when stock prices rise and many people who buy shares feel confident
- Specialized
A large aggressive shark that lives in warm shallow water near coasts and in rivers
An early Civil War battle in Virginia where Confederate forces defeat Union troops
A strong, muscular dog breed from the United States with a short coat and high energy
A former US political party started by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 that supported progressive reforms
- Indian
A large deer-like animal from India whose male has a blue-grey coat and whose female is brown and hornless
- US
A tree that keeps its leaves all year with large shiny leaves and big white fragrant flowers
- US
A rough prickly plant from North America with pale yellow flowers and small berries
- US
A tall pine tree with dark green needles in groups of two to five and thick dark bark when mature
- US
A large North American snake that eats rodents, lives in burrows, and is not venomous
A major early Civil War battle fought in July 1861 near Manassas, Virginia that the Confederate army won
- Slur
A lesbian woman who is openly confident, shows a masculine style, and takes back an offensive name
A strong, medium-sized English dog with a stocky body, smooth coat, and friendly nature
How Strong
Surface Forms
Etymology
Bull for a big, strong man comes from comparing that man to the animal: a bull is large and powerful, so calling someone a bull says they look very strong.