bossy
1 Americanadjective
adjective
noun
plural
bossiesadjective
adjective
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
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.
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
What they have in common is markets that have walloped their bossy giant neighbor’s.
From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025
It seems like that that kind of like the role of being a little bossy and advocating for her sisters and making sure everything’s moving properly.
From Salon • Nov. 2, 2025
Scrum-halves are supposed to be loud and bossy, but Gibson-Park isn't either of those things.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2025
All I had to do was throw down my dolly with a little extra force, and a bossy customer would say, "Let's just all calm down and try to work this out."
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
