bossy

bossy — adjective

1. liking to give other people orders in a way that annoys them

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

liking to give other people orders in a way that annoys them

Example

Priya sounded bossy when she told everyone where to sit.

linking verb: sound bossy

At lunch, Diego gave bossy orders about the class project.

collocation: bossy orders

Common collocations
  • bossy tone
  • bossy voice
  • bossy way
  • sound bossy
Synonyms
  • pushy

    more about forcing your own wishes forward

  • controlling

    broader, often about managing people or situations over time

  • domineering

    stronger and more formal

Antonyms

Usage Note

Usually negative. Often used with nouns such as tone, voice, sister, or manager, and it suggests unwanted orders rather than good leadership.

Common Mistakes

Our new team leader is bossy, so everyone respects her.
Our new team leader is confident and clear, so everyone respects her.
'bossy' is negative; it suggests giving unwanted orders.
The teacher was bossy, and the class loved her calm leadership.
The teacher was authoritative, and the class loved her calm leadership.
'authoritative' can be positive, but 'bossy' usually is not.

2. having round raised parts or a design that stands out from the surface

2.adjective
Definition

having round raised parts or a design that stands out from the surface

Example

The museum showed a bossy silver cup, with raised dots around its rim.

bossy + decorated object

Light from the window caught the bossy pattern on the leather book.

bossy + pattern on [surface]

Common collocations
  • bossy pattern
  • bossy design
  • bossy shield
  • bossy silver
Synonyms
  • embossed

    common modern word for a pattern pressed outward

  • raised

    broader and more general

  • studded

    suggests many separate raised pieces

Antonyms
  • flat

    without raised parts

  • smooth

    without a rough or raised design

Usage Note

Mostly seen before a noun in descriptions of decorated objects. Distinguish from adjective sense 1, which describes a person who gives too many orders.

bossy — noun

Word family

  • boss
    nounB1
  • boss
    verbB2
  • bossily
    adverb
  • bossiness
    noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For adjective sense 1, bossy is a common everyday word for someone who keeps giving unwanted orders. Pushy often focuses on forcing your own wishes forward, even when no one asked. Controlling is broader: a controlling person tries to manage other people, plans, or feelings over time. Domineering is stronger and more formal, and it suggests harsh power over others. Authoritative is different again, because it can be positive and describe calm, confident leadership based on knowledge or position. A teacher can be authoritative without being bossy. A child who tells every classmate where to sit is bossy. A manager who checks every tiny step may be controlling.

pushy ↗controlling ↗domineeringauthoritative ↗

Etymology

DutchEnglishLatinEnglish

Modern bossy brings together different histories. The everyday adjective about giving orders grew from boss plus the adjective ending -y; boss came into English from Dutch baas, meaning "master." An older adjective sense for raised, rounded decoration is linked to boss meaning a raised knob or ornament. The noun bossy for a cow belongs to a separate farm tradition and is connected with Latin bos, meaning "ox" or "cow."