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Synonyms

bossy

1 American  
[baw-see, bos-ee] / ˈbɔ si, ˈbɒs i /

adjective

bossier, bossiest

  1. given to ordering people about; overly authoritative; domineering.

    Synonyms:
    abrasive, overbearing, dictatorial, officious, high-handed
bossy 2 American  
[baw-see, bos-ee] / ˈbɔ si, ˈbɒs i /

adjective

bossier, bossiest

  1. studded with knoblike or projecting parts.

bossy 3 American  
[bos-ee, baw-see] / ˈbɒs i, ˈbɔ si /

noun

plural

bossies

  1. a familiar name for a cow or calf.

bossy 1 British  
/ ˈbɒsɪ /

adjective

  1. informal domineering, overbearing, or authoritarian

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
bossy 2 British  
/ ˈbɒsɪ /

adjective

  1. (of furniture) ornamented with bosses

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of bossy1

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; boss 1 + -y 1

Origin of bossy2

First recorded in 1535–45; boss 2 + -y 1

Origin of bossy3

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; boss 3 + -y 2

Explanation

Someone who's bossy has a tendency to order other people around. Your bossy friend might tell you what clothes you should wear on your date as well as which restaurant you ought to eat at. Bossy people enjoy telling you what to do. Your bossy roommate might instruct you to clean the kitchen immediately, and a bossy kid could happily spend an afternoon ordering his babysitter to push him on a swing. While the 16th century meaning was "swelling and rounded, decorated with buttons," by the late 1800s bossy meant "domineering," from the Dutch baas, or "master." It's also a popular name for a cow, from the Latin bos, "cow."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Or sometimes ridiculous, as with the “Trio Grande Line” of Clark Gilles, Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy, which took the New York Islanders to four straight Stanley Cup titles.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2025

In 2014, I sat listening to her talk about her latest album, “I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss,” as she chain-smoked in a Dublin recording studio, her face tattoos faded by laser removal treatment.

From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2023

O'Connor proved she could still deliver the goods with the release of her 2014 album I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2023

He drops in references to Mike Bossy, the Hall of Famer who led the Islanders to four straight Stanley Cup championships in the 1980s, or Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 2022

“And I told Bossy that I’d consider it. Although I think maybe I’ve come up with a better idea for all of us next Friday.”

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.