pick on

verb

1. tr, preposition to select (someone) for something unpleasant, esp in order to bully, blame, or cause to perform a distasteful task

Idioms and Phrases

Tease, bully, victimize, as in She told Mom the boys were always picking on her . [Second half of 1800s] This expression is sometimes put as pick on someone your own size , meaning “don't badger someone who is younger, smaller, or weaker than yourself but do so only to an equal.”

Related Words

• badger
• bully
• get at
• tease
• torment