bossy

bossy — adjective

1. liking to give other people orders in a way that annoys them

1.形容詞B2
釋義

liking to give other people orders in a way that annoys them

例句

Priya sounded bossy when she told everyone where to sit.

linking verb: sound bossy

At lunch, Diego gave bossy orders about the class project.

collocation: bossy orders

同義詞
  • pushy

    more about forcing your own wishes forward

  • controlling

    broader, often about managing people or situations over time

  • domineering

    stronger and more formal

反義詞

用法筆記

Usually negative. Often used with nouns such as tone, voice, sister, or manager, and it suggests unwanted orders rather than good leadership.

常見錯誤

❌Our new team leader is bossy, so everyone respects her.
✅Our new team leader is confident and clear, so everyone respects her.
💡'bossy' is negative; it suggests giving unwanted orders.
❌The teacher was bossy, and the class loved her calm leadership.
✅The teacher was authoritative, and the class loved her calm leadership.
💡'authoritative' can be positive, but 'bossy' usually is not.

2. having round raised parts or a design that stands out from the surface

2.形容詞
釋義

having round raised parts or a design that stands out from the surface

例句

The museum showed a bossy silver cup, with raised dots around its rim.

bossy + decorated object

Light from the window caught the bossy pattern on the leather book.

bossy + pattern on [surface]

同義詞
  • embossed

    common modern word for a pattern pressed outward

  • raised

    broader and more general

  • studded

    suggests many separate raised pieces

反義詞
  • flat

    without raised parts

  • smooth

    without a rough or raised design

用法筆記

Mostly seen before a noun in descriptions of decorated objects. Distinguish from adjective sense 1, which describes a person who gives too many orders.

bossy — noun