Pick on meaning in English
Learn how to use Pick on correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
to pick on (someone): to tease, to bully, to torment, to victimize (someone)
Stop picking on me! Just leave me alone!
Examples
- "No longer a small boy, frightened and ridiculed and picked on."
Exercise 1
Donna says that Icarus was picked on when he was younger.
What does she mean by this?
What does she mean by this?
Donna says that Icarus was picked on when he was younger.
What does she mean by this?
What does she mean by this?
This is an incorrect choice. The phrasal verb to be "picked on" is unrelated to being a perfect student.
This is an incorrect choice. Although the verb "to pick" generally indicates the act of selecting or choosing something, the phrasal verb to "pick on (someone)" expresses a different meaning. Icarus was not always chosen for sports teams.
This is the correct choice. The phrasal verb to be "picked on" means to be "harassed" or "bullied", especially by other children at school. Example: I was picked on at school for having big ears. In the dialogue, Donna tells Icarus that he is no longer a "small boy, frightened and ridiculed and picked on."
This is an incorrect choice. The phrasal verb to be "picked on" does not mean to be physically attacked by birds. The verb "to peck" however describes the quick tapping gesture a bird makes with its beak when eating or building a nest.
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