bull

An adult male of the large farm animals kept for milk or meat.

• The bull is in the field.
• A bull charged toward the fence.
• The farmer keeps two bulls for breeding.

Common phrases: breeding bull, bull calf, angry bull

Something said that is false, foolish, or impossible to believe.

• That story is bull.
• He gave us a load of bull.
• Do you believe the bull she told you?

Similar words: nonsense, rubbish, lies

Opposites: truth

Common phrases: complete bull, total bull, talk bull

An adult male of certain large animals, such as elephants, whales, or seals.

• The bull guarded the herd.
• A large seal bull rested on the beach.
• Two elephant bulls fought near the water.

Common phrases: elephant bull, dominant bull, seal bull

A police officer, detective, or guard protecting railway property.

• A bull stopped him at the station.
• The railroad bull chased them off the tracks.
• Two bulls arrested the thief outside the bar.

Similar words: policeman, cop

Common phrases: railroad bull, a bull

Describing a financial market in which prices are rising or expected to rise.

• Stocks entered a bull market.
• Investors expect the bull trend to continue.
• Share prices doubled during the bull phase.

Similar words: rising

Opposites: bear

Common phrases: bull market, bull trend, bull phase

Describing an adult male of certain large animals.

• A bull elephant crossed the road.
• The bull seal defended his territory.
• We saw a bull whale beside the boat.

Similar words: male

Opposites: female

Common phrases: bull elephant, bull seal, bull whale

To move forward forcefully, pushing past people or things in your way.

• He bulled through the crowd.
• She bulled her way into the room.
• The striker bulled past two defenders.

How to use it: bull one’s way through/into something (He bulled his way through the waiting crowd.); bull past someone/something (She bulled past the guards.)

Similar words: push, force

Common phrases: bull through something, bull past someone, bull into something

To try to make the price of stocks or other traded goods rise.

• Traders tried to bull the market.
• The group bulled railway shares by buying heavily.
• Speculators hoped to bull bond prices before selling.

Similar words: bid up

Common phrases: bull the market, bull something