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Synonyms

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

adjective

bossier, bossiest

  1. studded with knoblike or projecting parts.

bossy 3 American  
[bos-ee, baw-see] / ˈbɒs i, ˈbɔ si /

noun

plural

bossies

  1. a familiar name for a cow or calf.

bossy 1 British  
/ ˈbɒsɪ /

adjective

  1. informal domineering, overbearing, or authoritarian

"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
bossy 2 British  
/ ˈbɒsɪ /

adjective

  1. (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

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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

“She’s so bossy and she’s really forward,” said Davis.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2026

"I'm not a Conservative voter to start with, but I find him to be a big bossy boy," she said.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

One small, slightly bossy note: leaf shape matters.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025

The lips on the statue had a beautiful, bossy half smile, the sight of which caused me to move both my hands up to my throat.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

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.