micromanage

verb

mi·​cro·​man·​age ˌmī-krō-ˈma-nij 

micromanaged; micromanaging; micromanages

transitive verb

: to manage especially with excessive control or attention to small matters that is not wanted or causes problems

likes to micromanage every detail of the budget

intransitive verb

: to direct or conduct the activities of a group or an enterprise by micromanaging them

Your team members … want to develop and self-direct. If you micromanage, they can't demonstrate their competence …

—Lisa Zigarmi

micromanagement

ˌmī-krō-ˈma-nij-mənt 

noun

micromanager

ˌmī-krō-ˈma-ni-jər 

noun

Examples of micromanage in a Sentence

He micromanaged every detail of the budget.

Recent Examples on the Web

But even if the lovebirds are tightly micromanaged behind the scenes, there's no substitute for lived experience as the pair have grown visibly more comfortable just being themselves in the limelight. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 July 2026

Soon, the leader speaks first, corrects too quickly, micromanages decisions and surrounds themselves with people who have learned that agreement is safer than curiosity. — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

More pragmatic figures in the establishment accuse these hard-liners of upsetting the country’s social peace with needless political repression, and by seeking to micromanage the lifestyles of ordinary people. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

If doubt starts whispering, do not micromanage everyone’s perception of you. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for micromanage

• manage
• tannage