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bossy

1
[ baw-see, bos-ee ]
/ ˈbɔ si, ˈbɒs i /
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adjective, boss·i·er, boss·i·est.
given to ordering people about; overly authoritative; domineering.
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True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

Origin of bossy

1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; boss1 + -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM bossy

boss·i·ly, adverbboss·i·ness, noun

Other definitions for bossy (2 of 3)

bossy2
[ baw-see, bos-ee ]
/ ˈbɔ si, ˈbɒs i /

adjective, boss·i·er, boss·i·est.
studded with knoblike or projecting parts.

Origin of bossy

2
First recorded in 1535–45; boss2 + -y1

Other definitions for bossy (3 of 3)

bossy3
[ bos-ee, baw-see ]
/ ˈbɒs i, ˈbɔ si /

noun, plural bos·sies.
a familiar name for a cow or calf.

Origin of bossy

3
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; boss3 + -y2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bossy in a sentence

  • Sculpture is essentially the production of a pleasant bossiness or roundness of surface.

  • And what is this bossiness around the grate but some blunt, black-leaded garland?

    The Rhythm of Life|Alice Meynell

British Dictionary definitions for bossy (1 of 2)

bossy1
/ (ˈbɒsɪ) /

adjective bossier or bossiest
informal domineering, overbearing, or authoritarian

Derived forms of bossy

bossily, adverbbossiness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for bossy (2 of 2)

bossy2
/ (ˈbɒsɪ) /

adjective
(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
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