bossy
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bossy¹
- /ˈbɔsi/ US, Multicultural London English
- /ˈbɑsi/ cot caught merger
- /ˈbɒsi/ UK
- /ˈbɒsɪ/ UK
Rhymes with -ɒsi, -ɔːsi
adjective bossier · bossiest
-
Tending to give orders to others, especially when unwarranted; domineering.
Over in the wardrobe department a bossy woman in ill-fitting dungarees tried to talk her into wearing a short red low-cut dress for the test.
Similar: dictatorial, authoritarian, commanding, tyrannical, demanding, inflexible
Similar: autocratic, bossy, coercive, controlling, despotic, dominant, domineering, forceful, harsh, heavy-handed, iron-fisted, iron-handed, monocratic, obtrusive, brassy, oppressive, overbearing, strict · Opposite: humble, servile, sycophantic
bossy²
- /ˈbɔsi/ US, Multicultural London English
- /ˈbɑsi/ cot caught merger
- /ˈbɒsi/ UK
- /ˈbɒsɪ/ UK
Rhymes with -ɒsi, -ɔːsi
Where it comes from
Diminutive of dialectal English boss + -y, as used in the term boss-calf (which, like buss-calf, is a variant form of boose-calf, a calf kept in a boose (“stall”)).
noun bossies
- A cow or calf. A week before, while riding the prairies, Raidler had come upon a sick and weakling calf deserted and bawling. Without dismounting he had reached and slung the distressed bossy across his saddle, and dropped it at the ranch for the boys to attend to.
bossy³
- /ˈbɔsi/ US, Multicultural London English
- /ˈbɑsi/ cot caught merger
- /ˈbɒsi/ UK
- /ˈbɒsɪ/ UK
Rhymes with -ɒsi, -ɔːsi
adjective more bossy · most bossy
-
Ornamented with bosses; studded.
Similar: authoritarian, commanding, demanding, dictatorial, tyrannical
Similar: autocratic, bossy, coercive, controlling, despotic, dominant, domineering, forceful, harsh, heavy-handed, iron-fisted, iron-handed, monocratic, obtrusive, brassy, oppressive, overbearing, strict · Opposite: humble, servile, sycophantic
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: magisterial, domineering, peremptory, autocratic, dominating, high-and-mighty, imperious, overbearing, assertive, high-handed, controlling, authoritative, oppressive, directive, chief, tyrannical
adjective
Similar: autocratic, bossy, coercive, controlling, despotic, dominant, domineering, forceful, harsh, heavy-handed, iron-fisted, iron-handed, monocratic, obtrusive, brassy, oppressive, overbearing, strict · Opposite: humble, servile, sycophantic
adjective
Similar: autocratic, bossy, coercive, controlling, despotic, dominant, domineering, forceful, harsh, heavy-handed, iron-fisted, iron-handed, monocratic, obtrusive, brassy, oppressive, overbearing, strict · Opposite: humble, servile, sycophantic
Translations
Every language
adj tending to give orders to others
| Español | mandón |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 愛發號施令的 /爱发号施令的 ài fāhàoshīlìng de, 跋扈 báhù |
| Português | mandão |
| Français | autoritaire |
| Deutsch | herrisch, rechthaberisch, autoritär, diktatorisch, herrschsüchtig |
| Română | poruncitor, autoritar |
| Русский | лю́бящий кома́ндовать ljúbjaščij komándovatʹ, вла́стный vlástnyj |
| العربية | مُتَسَلِّط mutasalliṭ |
Talk about this word "bossy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bossy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. bossy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bossy "bossy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bossy.Cite this
@misc{bossy_2026,
title = {bossy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bossy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
