Bossy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈbɔsi/

Definitions

1. Having a tendency to command or control others in a way that is assertive and often seen as overly authoritative
2. Displaying a behavior characterized by ordering people around and asserting dominance regardless of context
3. Showing an inclination to dictate or direct others, often perceived as overly controlling or domineering

Etymology: "Bossy" is simply "boss" with the suffix "-y," which English has long attached to nouns to mean "full of" or "given to" something, as in "grassy" or "stony." The question is what "boss" meant first, and the answer splits into two unrelated stories. One traces back through Dutch "baas," meaning "master" or "employer," and ultimately to a Proto-Germanic root. The other is a dialect word for a protruding knob or stud, and it is this older English sense that the modifier's "boss" is most likely tied to. A second line of descent runs through Old French "boce," a bump or swelling, which came into English as "bos" and became "boss." Because a boss is a rounded projection, the term became attached to the central knob of a shield, a sense that carried into the "employer" meaning through the idea of a figure standing out above others. The link is uncertain, so the two routes are best treated as two possible ancestors rather than one settled path. Either way, "bossy" describes someone who acts like the person in charge, with the suffix turning the noun into a trait of character.

Synonyms: domineering, authoritative

Antonyms: submissive, yielding