plural bosses
1
: the person whose job is to tell other workers what to do
Why don't you ask your boss for a raise?
Company policy says that vacation time must be cleared with your boss. [=supervisor]
my former boss
Jane started her own business so that she could be her own boss. [=have no boss except for herself]
2
: a person who has a lot of power in an organization
a union boss
mafia bosses
the movie studio boss
During the campaign, no one was willing to stand up to the party boss. [=the person with the most power in a political party or one branch of a political party]
3
: the person who has more power or control in a relationship
The two oldest children argued over who was boss for the entire hour their mother was out shopping.
He wants to show them who's (the) boss. [=who's in charge]
bosses; bossed; bossing
: to give orders to (someone) : to tell (someone) what to do
—usually + around or (Brit) about
I wish he wouldn't let his father boss him around like that.
Don't boss me around!
slang
: great or excellent
a boss new rock band
Cite this Entry
“Boss.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/boss. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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