How to say "bully" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

いじめるJLPT N4approx.Common
ichidan verb, transitive verbThe common verb 'to bully': to pick on, torment or ill-treat someone. Use it whenever 'bully' is a verb, as in schoolyard bullying; it is usually written in kana alone.
私は彼かれをいじめたことを後悔こうかいした。↗
I felt bad about picking on him.
いじめっ子いじめっこ
nounA person who bullies, typically a child among classmates. Use this for the noun 'bully' — the person doing the bullying rather than the act.
あのいじめっ子こを、やっつけておいで。↗
Go and beat up that bully.
荒くれ男あらくれおとこ
nounCovers 'bully' only in the sense of a ruffian or tough — a rowdy, violent man. For the everyday sense of bullying someone, this is not the word you want.
弱いものいじめよわいものいじめ
nounNames the practice of picking on those weaker than oneself — 'bullying the weak'. It can stand for 'bully', but it refers to the behaviour, not a person.
ゴロ
noun (suffix), nounAn abbreviated term for a racketeer or thug; it matches 'bully' only in the ruffian sense and is seldom the word you want for tormenting someone.

For the verb 'to bully', use 「いじめる」; for a person who bullies, 「いじめっ子」. 「弱いものいじめ」 names bullying of the weak, while 「荒くれ男」 and 「ゴロ」 mean a ruffian or thug, not a schoolyard bully.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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