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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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RELATED WORDS

pushy, imperious, overbearing, authoritarian, commanding, controlling, despotic, dictatorial, high-handed, oppressive, overpowering, strict, tyrannical

Nearby words

  1. bossing,
  2. bossism,
  3. bossman,
  4. bossuet,
  5. bossuet, jacques bénigne,
  6. bosthoon,
  7. boston,
  8. boston bag,
  9. boston baked beans,
  10. boston bluefish

Origin of bossy

1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; boss1 + -y1
Related formsboss·i·ly, adverbboss·i·ness, noun

bossy

2
[ baw-see, bos-ee ]
/ ˈbɔ si, ˈbɒs i /

adjective, boss·i·er, boss·i·est.

studded with bosses.

Origin of bossy

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

bossy

3
[ 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. 2019

Examples from the Web for bossy

British Dictionary definitions for bossy

bossy

1
/ (ˈbɒsɪ) /

adjective bossier or bossiest

informal domineering, overbearing, or authoritarian
Derived Formsbossily, adverbbossiness, noun

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
Word Origin and History for bossy

bossy

adj.

1540s, "swelling, projecting and rounded, decorated with bosses" from boss (n.2). Meaning "domineering, fond of ordering people about" is recorded 1882, from boss (n.1) + -y (2). As a common cow name it represents Latin bos "cow" (see cow (n.)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper