pick on

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English

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Verb

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pick on (third-person singular simple present picks on, present participle picking on, simple past and past participle picked on)

  1. (transitive) To bully, harass, or make fun of a victim; to bother or harass.
    Hey! Quit picking on your brother.
    • 1998, Korn (lyrics and music), “Reclaim my Place”:
      Had no friends, picked on 'cause I was weak
    • 2019 February 27, Drachinifel, 22:11 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?[1], archived from the original on 3 November 2022:
      Deciding that he hasn't had enough action for one day, Captain Evans of the Johnston orders another 180-degree about-face to give gunfire support to the new arrivals, this time picking on the heavy cruiser Tone.
  2. (transitive) To select (a person) for a task, etc.
    The teacher picked on me to answer the question.

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Translations

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