Bossy Meaning
/ˈbɔsi/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjTending to give orders to others, especially when unwarranted; domineering.
nounA cow or calf.
Sentence Examples
You're being bossy, aren't you?
She's so bossy - she's always trying to impose her will on others.
Tom told me that I was being too bossy.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her ____ attitude annoyed everyone because she always gave orders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She can be a bit ____ at times, always telling everyone what to do today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English boss Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English bossy From boss + -y.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Over in the wardrobe department a bossy woman in ill-fitting dungarees tried to talk her into wearing a short red low-cut dress for the test."
— 1994, Jackie Collins, Hollywood Kids:
"Cuphead is a difficult gauntlet through a ton of bosses, from evil clowns to bossy queen bees."
— 2017 October 2, Heather Alexandra, “Cuphead Player Beats Bosses Without Taking A Single Hit”, in Kotaku, archived from the original on 18 Feb 2018:
"Where American Jewish men contend with stereotypes of being oversexed, needy, nebbishy and neurotic (like Woody Allen, boo hiss), Jewish women are cast as withholding, bossy, exotic, and materialistic (like Fran Drescher, which honestly? Goals)."
— 2019 August 20, Fancy Feast, “On Being a Fetish”, in Jewish Currents, number Summer 2019, archived from the original on 08 Aug 2020:
"A week before, while riding the prairies, Raidler had come upon a sick and weakling calf deserted and bawling. Without dismounting he had reached and slung the distressed bossy across his saddle, and dropped it at the ranch for the boys to attend to."
— 1903 February, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Hygeia at the Solito”, in Everybody’s Magazine, volume VIII, number 2, New York, N.Y.: John Wanamaker, →ISSN, page 174, column 1:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her ____ attitude annoyed everyone because she always gave orders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She can be a bit ____ at times, always telling everyone what to do today.