The first thing we have to establish is the etymological origin of the term bully that concerns us now. In this case, we can emphasize that it derives from kill, which is a verb that, apparently, derives from the Vulgar Latin “mattare”, which can be translated as “hit”.
An aggressive and fighting individual who seeks to intimidate other people is called a bully . Bullies, therefore, seek to gain benefits from intimidation and even the use of physical force .
For example: “When I was a kid, there was a bully at my school who always took my candy,” “I would like a bully to help me collect the money that several people owe me…” , “The businessman was reported for having bullies who threaten their competitors.”
Other words, in addition to those already mentioned, that can function as a synonym for bully are forgiving, bully and even quarrelsome.
There are different kinds of bullies. Some act on their own, resorting to violence to satisfy their interests. Other bullies, however, assume that role for a third party in exchange for money.
The child or adolescent who bullies a peer can be considered a bully. Bullying is carried out in different ways: the bully can take money from the bullied person through threats or hit him in front of the class to humiliate him, to name two possibilities.
A man who attacks his partner also acts like a bully. This behavior at the domestic level leads a woman to submit to the will of her husband, spouse or boyfriend.
The one who gets paid to act as a bully, meanwhile, offers intimidation and violent attacks as “services.” The activity, of course, is illegal and is usually considered typical actions of the mafia or another criminal group. A drug trafficker can count on thugs who attack debtors and even distributors who do not comply with the boss's orders, to mention one case.
The world of cinema has been inspired on numerous occasions by the figure of a bully. Good examples of this are films such as these:
-“León: The Professional”. It is a film that was released in 1994 and starred actors Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman. It was directed by Luc Besson and tells the story of a hitman who is forced to take care of an orphan girl. This is a girl who, little by little, will learn the keys to his work.
-“Ghost Dog” is another of the films that revolves around the figure of a bully. This is played by Forest Whitaker who plays a murderer who, after seeing his life saved by a member of the Italian mafia, decides to make a living as a thug in exchange for large sums of money.
“Jason Bourne” (2002), “Collateral” (2004), “Smoking Acess” (2006) or “Jackal” (1973) are other feature films that also revolve around the figure of thugs willing to beat up or murder. in order to earn an important financial reward.