adjective

bullish

BUUL-ish

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Bullish (adjective) means expecting the price of shares, a currency or another asset to rise, or reflecting that expectation. Example: “Analysts turned bullish on the airline after a record summer of bookings.”

adjective

finance Expecting the price of shares, a currency or another asset to rise, or reflecting that expectation.

"Analysts turned bullish on the airline after a record summer of bookings."

"The bullish mood pushed the index to a five-year high."

Confident and positive about how something will turn out.

"She is bullish about the team's chances of promotion."

"Management remains bullish on hiring despite the slowdown."

How to use bullish

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBullish means you think something is going up or going well.

When to use it

Standard in business and financial writing, and common in ordinary speech for general optimism.

Memory tip

You are bullish ON a stock or company, but bullish ABOUT a general prospect.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

bearish → boorish →

Common pairings

bullish on bullish outlook bullish sentiment turn bullish bullish about

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “bullish” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Analysts turned _____ on the airline after a record summer of bookings.

Etymology

From bull in the stock-market sense of a buyer who expects prices to rise, plus the adjective ending -ish; the market sense of bull is of uncertain origin.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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optimistic buoyant upbeat confident hopeful sanguine positive assured

Antonyms

bearish pessimistic downbeat

Related words

sure happy position certain positive plus pro negative

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between bullish and bearish?

Bullish means you expect prices to rise, so you want to buy and hold. Bearish is the exact opposite: you expect prices to fall. The images come from how each animal attacks, a bull tossing its horns upward and a bear swiping downward.

Can bullish be used outside of finance?

Yes. It is now common in everyday speech to mean simply confident or optimistic, as in being bullish about a project's chances. The financial sense remains the more literal one.

Is being bullish the same as being aggressive?

No. Bullish describes an expectation that things will improve, not a manner of behaving. A bullish investor may still act cautiously.

What is the meaning of bullish?

"bullish" (adjective) means expecting the price of shares, a currency or another asset to rise, or reflecting that expectation.

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