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Pick on meaning

Pick on means to keep being unkind to one person or blaming them unfairly.

Check yourself: 3 questions

pick on somebody

pick on · picked · picking

B2Not separable

The older boys picked on him because he was small.

Pick on meanings and examples

One meaning, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.

  1. 1

    Keep being unkind to one person or blaming them unfairly

    pick on somebody

    B2Not separable

    • The older boys picked on him because he was small.
    • Stop picking on your little brother!
    • Why does the boss always pick on me?
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Is pick on separable?

Pick on is not separable. The person always comes after on: pick on Sam, pick on her. Never say pick her on.

It is often used in the continuous form for repeated behaviour: She’s always picking on me. Pick on someone your own size means stop attacking someone weaker.

Verb tenses for pick on

PresentI pick on · she picks on
Pastpicked on
Present perfecthave picked on
-ing formpicking on

Common mistakes with pick on

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: The other kids picked him on at school.

    Right: The other kids picked on him at school.

    Pick on is not separable. The person goes after on.

  • Wrong: Why are you always picking at me?

    Right: Why are you always picking on me?

    Pick at means touch or eat little bits. For unkind behaviour, use pick on.

  • Wrong: Stop to pick on your sister.

    Right: Stop picking on your sister.

    Stop + -ing means stop doing something.

Synonyms and opposites of pick on

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

  • bullystronger; hurt or frighten someone weaker again and again
  • teaselaugh at someone, sometimes in a friendly way
  • single outchoose one person from a group, for good or bad

Opposite

  • stand up fordefend someone who is being treated badly
  • be nice totreat someone kindly

Pick on quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1My sister always ___ me when Mum isn’t looking.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3A child says, “Teacher, Leo is picking on me!” What is Leo doing?

More phrasal verbs with pick

3 phrasal verbs start with pick. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on pickTake the full test

Pick on FAQ

Questions people ask about pick on.

Is picking on someone the same as bullying?

Close, but bullying is more serious and goes on for a long time. Picking on can be smaller, like a big brother teasing a little one.

What does pick on someone your own size mean?

People say it to someone who attacks a smaller or weaker person. It means fight someone as strong as you, or stop.

Can you pick on a thing?

Rarely. Usually you pick on a person. With things, people say single out: The report singled out the new road.

Use pick on in real conversations

In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.

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