crybully

English

Etymology

Blend of crybaby +‎ bully.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

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Noun

crybully (plural crybullies)

1. (derogatory) A person who engages in intimidation, harassment, or other abusive behaviour while claiming to be a victim, often using the perceived victimization to induce others to engage in bullying of the intended victim.
   • 1999 October 24, SNUMBER6 [username], “Re: Lindros...”, in alt.sports.hockey.nhl.ny-rangers‎^[1] (Usenet):

     Lindros would rather jab a stick at someone retaliating for a fair hit than to wait his turn to get his own in ... Eric is just a bleeping crybaby ... a big bully and like most bullies just can't take it ... likes to dish it but can't take it ... geesh a little guy like Stock gets his goat ...Go in the corner and cry with your crybully with an attitude ...

   • 2015 April 21, Julie Burchill, “Meet the Cry-Bully: a hideous hybrid of victim and victor”, in The Spectator:

     This is the age of the Cry-Bully, a hideous hybrid of victim and victor, weeper and walloper. They are everywhere, these duplicit Pushmi-Pullyus of the personal and the political

   • 2015 August 18, “Cyber victim or Cyberbully?”, in Crime and Federalism:

     a cry-bully is someone who will (relentlessly) bully someone but as soon as their victim stands up or slightly resists they will seek out authority with tears in their eyes and a sob story on their lips and just use that to get the authority to punish their victim.

   • 2015 November 13, Roger Kimball, “The Rise of the College Crybullies”, in The Wall Street Journal:

     The crybully, who has weaponized his coveted status as a victim, was first sighted in the mid-2000s.

   • 2015 November 16, Joe Cooper, “Liberals Still Bowing to Islam After Paris Attacks”, in soc.culture.usa‎^[2] (Usenet):

     Within hours of the Paris attacks, some of the crybullies behind the recent University of Missouri chaos and the resultant nationwide spate of college protests had vented on Twitter about how their drummed-up, phony-baloney "cause" was more important than Paris.

Verb

crybully (third-person singular simple present crybullies, present participle crybullying, simple past and past participle crybullied)

1. To engage in behaviour characteristic of a crybully; to intimidate, harass or abuse another person or group of people while claiming to be a victim.

See also

• DARVO (tactic often used by crybullies)
• cry wolf