bossy
1 Americanadjective
-
bossier,
comparative
-
bossiest
superlative
adjective
-
bossier,
comparative
-
bossiest
superlative
noun
-
bossies
plural
adjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
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
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She said that as the "bossy" older sister, she told him that morning that he needed to prepare, adding: "If you win, you cannot wing it."
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
I have used AI to work on this capacity, and to become, well, if not exactly the world’s greatest listener, maybe 10% less bossy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Woody can be bossy and controlling, jealous and vain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 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
But Mandy was bossy, giving orders almost as often as she drew breath.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
Still, in spite of cheeses, beehives, bossies, and kittens, I had many lonesome hours, and sometimes cried after I went to bed.
From Aunt Madge's Story by Sophie May
"No; I don't see many little girls," said I, with a dismal sigh; "they don't have anything here but bossies and horses."
From Aunt Madge's Story by Sophie May
She turned the bossies out to browse, And Peterkin, for fun, Just peppered them with butter beans And blew them all to smithereens.
From The Peter Patter Book of Nursery Rhymes by Blanche Fisher Wright
That’s why I’m not at some round-up; all my bossies right at home.
From Stepsons of Light by Eugene Manlove Rhodes
There were ten of the sleek, cream-colored bossies, gentle, affectionate creatures who pressed their deep noses trustingly into Warren's hands and begged him to open the wide gate that kept them from the shady pasture.
From Rainbow Hill by Thelma Gooch
There was a bigger, brasher, bossier personality waiting in the wings, and his restrained act was an acknowledgement of the new political pecking order.
From US News ● May 20, 2016
If Wilbur, the older, bossier and more rigorous brother, ever had an impassioned relationship with any human being who was not a blood relative or fellow aviation enthusiast, this isn’t the book to exhume it.
From New York Times ● May 3, 2015
The only trouble with costume time is that Abuela can get even bossier than usual.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Without adult supervision, playtime can quickly become a “Lord of the Flies”-like situation, with the strongest and bossiest child leading the pack.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 3, 2021
She’s seven pounds and the bossiest one I’ve ever had.
From New York Times ● Oct. 20, 2017
In this way, Geeta had carved out a role for herself as the bossiest woman in the village.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2016
Cole Hooker smiled while recalling Cole as “always the best and bossiest big sister.”
From Washington Times ● Jan. 12, 2016
A not-dumb question popped into the boy’s head: Are you competing for bossiest person of the year?
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
