BOSSY
What does "BOSSY" mean?
Fond of giving people orders; domineering in a way that can annoy others.
Meanings
- Inclined to tell others what to do in an overbearing manner. Her bossy little brother kept reorganising everyone's seats. informal
- Decorated with or having raised round studs or knobs (a separate heraldic and craft sense). The old shield was bossy with hammered metal studs. technical
Word origin
From 'boss' (a person in charge), borrowed from Dutch 'baas' meaning 'master', plus the suffix '-y'. The 'studded' sense comes separately from 'boss' meaning a raised knob, via Old French 'boce'.
Remember it
BOSSY = BOSS + Y: a boss asking 'why are you in charge?' when nobody made them one.
A little poem
No badge, no desk, no one's consent-
yet every order sounds like rent.
couplet
Wordplay
- My friend insists she's not bossy - she just has better ideas about what everyone else should do.
What it teaches
Authority is given, not announced: the loudest order rarely comes from the real boss.
Quick facts
What does BOSSY mean?
Fond of giving people orders; domineering in a way that can annoy others.
Is BOSSY a valid word?
Yes — BOSSY is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is BOSSY?
BOSSY has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does BOSSY come from?
From 'boss' (a person in charge), borrowed from Dutch 'baas' meaning 'master', plus the suffix '-y'. The 'studded' sense comes separately from 'boss' meaning a raised knob, via Old French 'boce'.
What can BOSSY teach us?
Authority is given, not announced: the loudest order rarely comes from the real boss.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.