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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, “Reclaim my Place”, in Follow the Leader, performed by Korn:

     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.

• pester, pick at