bossy

«bossy» in Mova's school dictionary: always telling other people what to do, in a way that is… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

adjective (bossy, bossier, bossiest)

meaning for a pupil

1) (informal) Bossy means always telling other people what to do, in a way that is annoying. tree →

2) (informal, children) "Bossy boots" is a teasing name for a bossy person. tree →

sense in the lessons

In stories and school life, a bossy character orders others around in games and group work; it is a common character trait to describe. In PSHE lessons, children learn the difference between being a good leader and being bossy. Phrases: bossy boots, a bossy older sister, stop being bossy.

examples

• My big sister is so bossy! tree →
• Stop being bossy and let someone else choose. tree →
• In group work, Sam can be a bit bossy. tree →
• Don't be such a bossy boots. tree →
• The bossy cat chased the dog off the sofa. tree →
• A good leader listens; a bossy person just gives orders. tree →

note

Comparison: bossier, bossiest (y changes to i). From "boss". Informal, and it is a criticism. Opposite: easy-going, meek.

In the corpora

• Instructions have a title, a list of what you need, numbered steps and bossy verbs.
• Bossy verbs, also called imperative verbs, tell you what to do: mix, fill, push, stir.
• Instructions use imperative (bossy) verbs at the start of steps: mix, cut, press, brush.
• "Strong personality" on a report often means bossy or defiant.
• "Natural leader" can be spin for bossy; spin means choosing nice-sounding words to make something bad sound good.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «bossy» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.