as in domineering
fond of ordering people around
I don't want to work with him because he's so bossy and always runs roughshod over me
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Recent Examples of bossy
Imagine the bossy, vegetal crunch of a nearly raw bell pepper.
—
Adam Erace, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Dec. 2025
Sybil was hotelier Basil Fawlty’s acerbic and bossy wife, who argued frequently with Basil and was often the subject of his ire.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
On the show, Scales’ bossy Sybil Fawlty and Cleese’s dysfunctional Basil Fawlty run a hotel in the town of Torquay in Devon, England.
—Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
On the second take, Russell’s bossy tone rubbed up nicely against the neediness of the moment.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bossy
Adam Erace, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Dec. 2025
Sybil was hotelier Basil Fawlty’s acerbic and bossy wife, who argued frequently with Basil and was often the subject of his ire.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
On the show, Scales’ bossy Sybil Fawlty and Cleese’s dysfunctional Basil Fawlty run a hotel in the town of Torquay in Devon, England.
—Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
On the second take, Russell’s bossy tone rubbed up nicely against the neediness of the moment.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bossy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bossy
Adjective
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Sophie Turner plays Anne, living in the countryside and struggling in poverty with her domineering mother-in-law Morwen (Harden).—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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This is the rare movie adaptation that does cover the second half of the book, and our first glimpse of Heathcliff is as the domineering terror of his later years.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The authoritarian regime has brutally oppressed the people of Iran for generations.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
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Or think of how extreme weather can disrupt voting access, creating real and perceived grievances that are fertile ground for authoritarian interference in elections.—
Michael Chertoff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The history of classic Athens shows us that a Democracy can misuse its power, become arrogant and become a tyrant.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 2026
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Maekar refuses, earning a cutting rebuttal from Dunk about the royal upbringing that turned Daeron (Henry Ashton) into a drunken coward and Aerion into an arrogant and cruel madman.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bossy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bossy. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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