Learn English – Can the word “bully” be used as an “adjective”

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I want to write the sentence:

Bill helped him when he needed to overthrow the current leader, who is a bully.

Is there anyway to make that sentence flow better? For example, can I somehow use the word bully as an adjective:

…when he needed to overthrow the bully leader.

And the sentence sounds odd. Which word can I use for better flow that would work in day-to-day language?

Best Answer

Unlike some of the other answers I think you can get away with bully leader. You're not really using bully as an adjective but forming a noun phrase. However to me it means the leader of the bullies (rather like gang leader), not the bullying leader you seem to want.