as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
an officious little man who was always telling everyone else how to do their jobs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of officious
Cronenberg, in turn, has maintained a cool contempt for officious pundits and their agendas.
—
Adam Nayman, The New Yorker, 3 June 2022
As her avenging brother, Laertes, the tenor David Butt Philip is ardent; as her officious father, Polonius, the tenor William Burden avoids caricature.
—New York Times, 15 May 2022
The soul of this community is local queen bee Sherry Conrad (Search Party alum Shalita Grant, the season’s MVP), an officious, controlling momfluencer with a knack for stealing the spotlight.
—Judy Berman, Time, 17 Oct. 2021
On their first day, the resort manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) recommends an isolated beach and arranges for the family to be driven there along with a few other tourists, including an officious doctor (Rufus Sewell) and his family.
—BostonGlobe.com, 22 July 2021
See All Example Sentences for officious
Adam Nayman, The New Yorker, 3 June 2022
As her avenging brother, Laertes, the tenor David Butt Philip is ardent; as her officious father, Polonius, the tenor William Burden avoids caricature.
—New York Times, 15 May 2022
The soul of this community is local queen bee Sherry Conrad (Search Party alum Shalita Grant, the season’s MVP), an officious, controlling momfluencer with a knack for stealing the spotlight.
—Judy Berman, Time, 17 Oct. 2021
On their first day, the resort manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) recommends an isolated beach and arranges for the family to be driven there along with a few other tourists, including an officious doctor (Rufus Sewell) and his family.
—BostonGlobe.com, 22 July 2021
See All Example Sentences for officious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for officious
Adjective
-
Jet fuel prices are rising as the war in the Middle East disrupts global oil supplies, putting cost pressure on airlines as the busy summer travel season approaches.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Ask the staff for a quieter room that ideally doesn’t face the main road; typical of the city, Admiralty Way is constantly busy, and in the rainy season heavy thunderstorms can be enough to wake one out of sleep—light sleepers will do well to pick a room that’s more internal.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Because of the location on the property, the project would be especially intrusive for the Sanford Ridge community, Hayes and other opponents said last fall.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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Every poor, slow or pernickety decision undermines the good, depicting VAR as needlessly intrusive and a hindrance to the spectacle.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The fact is, in a newsroom full of meddlesome, sometimes pushy people, Beverly was none of that.—
Brad Schmitt,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The special ops unit chases every lead possible, from bribes to Mexican drug cartels, a meddlesome L.A. District Attorney (Merrick McCartha) and corruption in the government of Belarus.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
The big drawback is the fact that the machine is obtrusive, awkward, and decidedly unsexy.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
-
There are multiple reasons for the growth, but a core one is offering a fitness tracker that is much less obtrusive than a smartwatch.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Everybody’s a critic, and critics can be very annoying.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The former, which would prohibit defense contractors from using Claude in their government workflows, was annoying for Anthropic, but endurable.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Officious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/officious. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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