Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bull in a china shop

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.17 in modern English

Syllables: bul-l in a chi-na shop
IPA

28

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

3

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person who is clumsy, aggressive, without care, concern or self-control.

Informal

Example Sentences

"The various plotters and counterplotters go their devious ways, proceeding with all the subtlety of bulls in china shops, but we never do learn what the plot is all about."
"The allegations also add to Mr. [Brian] Murphy’s reputation. “Could he be a bit of a bull in a china shop? Absolutely,” said Kerry Sleeper, a former assistant director of the F.B.I. [Federal Bureau of Investigation] who once supervised Mr. Murphy. “But also that’s a person that allows change to happen.”"
"I think all Americans are uncomfortable in Paris, to some degree. We’re all bulls in a china shop here …. This is a culture that’s about civility."

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

bulls in a china shop (plural) bulls in china shops (plural)

Phrases

bull-in-a-china-shop like a bull in a china shop

Questions

What does bull in a china shop mean?: A person who is clumsy, aggressive, without care, concern or self-control.

How to pronounce bull in a china shop

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bull in a china shop”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “bull in a china shop” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.