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

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bossy ² American  

[baw-see, bos-ee] / ˈbɔ si, ˈbɒs i /

adjective

bossier, bossiest

1. studded with knoblike or projecting parts.

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bossy ³ American  

[bos-ee, baw-see] / ˈbɒs i, ˈbɔ si /

noun

plural

bossies

1. a familiar name for a cow or calf.

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bossy ¹ British  

/ ˈbɒsɪ /

adjective

1. informal domineering, overbearing, or authoritarian

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bossy ² British  

/ ˈbɒsɪ /

adjective

1. (of furniture) ornamented with bosses

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Other Word Forms

• bossily adverb
• bossiness noun

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."

Example Sentences

Barrett was known to be "very bossy", with a "pay-attention-to-me, deal-with-me type of attitude", says Sona Patel, the shop manager.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

This may sound bossy, but in the absence of clear communication, we tend to overanalyze, says Sara Jane Ho, an etiquette expert and host of the Netflix show “Mind Your Manners.”

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

My daughter added her laugh-out-loud imitations of me being overly bossy or short-tempered, and her grandma’s habit of asking whether we were on the right train and sitting in the right seats.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

What they have in common is markets that have walloped their bossy giant neighbor’s.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

And Emma shot him a glance that Chess knew meant, Why do you have to be so bossy?

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• imperious
• overbearing
• pushy