picks, picked, picking
to pick on
phrasal verb
To repeatedly criticize or tease someone in an unfair way
- 1The older kids always pick on the younger ones.
- 2She felt sad because her classmates would pick on her.
Imagine someone always making fun of you or saying mean things to you for no reason. That's what it means to pick on someone. It's like teasing or criticizing them over and over again in a way that's not fair.
When someone picks on you, remember that it's not your fault. It's important to stand up for yourself and not let their unfair criticism affect your self-esteem.
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at a store selling home furnishings
Unfair Criticism
Brian
I can't believe how the manager keeps finding faults with everything I do.
Jennifer
Yeah, it seems like he's always trying to pick on you for no reason.
Brian
Exactly, even when I follow all the instructions perfectly.
Jennifer
Maybe you should talk to him about it, it's really unfair.
at the customer service desk
Unjust Teasing
Kevin
I can't believe how the manager keeps finding faults in my work.
Joshua
Yeah, it's like he's always trying to pick on you for no reason.
Kevin
Exactly, even when I do everything right, he still finds something to criticize.
Joshua
That's really unfair, you deserve better treatment.
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Similar to "to pick on":
- 1bully
- 2harass
- 3tease