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bossily

bossily

4.6
In a way that tells people what to do
  • adverb
  • /ˈbɔsɪli/
translation icon : de manera autoritaria
  • She acted bossily, instructing her teammates on how to play the game instead of collaborating.

Examples

  • The manager spoke bossily, telling everyone what to do without considering their opinions.

  • During the meeting, he bossily dominated the discussion, leaving no room for others to share their thoughts.

  • Andy had been nailing a bracket for wall shelves, and Julia was bossily commanding Joseph in some game.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

imperiously
vsbossily
1 8.6

To speak in a commanding way that expects people to obey

orders others but with less sense of superiority
overbearingly
vsbossily
1 7.9

In a way that tries to control others and ignores their views

orders others but with milder less arrogant control
dictatorially
vsbossily
1 9.1

In a strong controlling way that ignores other people's opinions

shows ordering behavior but with less extreme autocracy
commandingly
vsbossily
1 5.8

To act in a strong, confident way that shows authority

orders in a confident way but not necessarily overbearing
domineeringly
vsbossily
8.1

In a way that shows someone wants to control other people

shows ordering behaviour but with less intense control
high-handedly
vsbossily
  • Formal
8.2

In a way that treats other people as unimportant and ignores their views

orders people yet does not always ignore others' views
bullishly
vsbossily
7.5

Being forceful and pushy, ignoring other people's views

orders people but with less blunt physical aggression

Antonyms

By working together to reach a common goal

1 5.3

In a quiet, humble way that shows you obey someone

How Bossy

bossily
4.6
firmly
92 1.0
assertively
2 5.1
gently
372 1.0

Surface Forms

bossily positive

Morphology

bossily = bossy (transparent) = boss + y + ly

The adverb is formed by adding the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' to the familiar adjective 'bossy', preserving the adjectival meaning.

Etymology

The word bossily comes from boss, which comes from the Dutch word baas meaning 'master', someone who gives orders. The adverb ending -ly turns it into 'in a boss way', so bossily means acting as if you are ordering people around.