boss around

verb

To act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

Similar
boss aboutstrong-armbullybrowbeatbullyragballyraghectorpush around
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Meanings

verbboss around (third-person singular simple present bosses around, present participle bossing around, simple past and past participle bossed around)

present singular third person bosses around · participle present bossing around · participle past bossed around · past bossed around

  1. transitiveTo act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

    Being bossed around by a woman... I know how you feel.

    2007 March 16, Capcom Production Studio 4, quoting Phoenix, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All, Europe: Capcom, →OCLC, Nintendo DS, scene: Part 3: Investigation, Plaza, level/area: Turnabout Big Top
    1 more example

    One big difference between me and my literary original; I haven't the faintest desire to boss around planetsful of people.

    2013, Ryk E. Spoor, Spheres of Influence

    Synonyms: boss about

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo act in a bossy manner with another person, ordering them to do things, whether or not one is actually their superior.

Similar
boss about

More synonyms by meaning

verbbe bossy towards

Similar
strong-armbullybrowbeatbullyragballyraghectorpush around
Broader
intimidate
Also see
ballyragbossboss aboutbrowbeatbullybullyraghectorpush aroundstrong-arm

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

* From boss and around.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian командоря
  • командоря (komandorja)to act in a bossy manner
Finnish komennella
  • komennellato act in a bossy manner
French mener à la baguette
  • mener à la baguetteto act in a bossy manner
German herumkommandieren
  • herumkommandierento act in a bossy manner
Spanish mandonear, señorear
  • mandonearto act in a bossy manner
  • señorearto act in a bossy manner
Cite this entry
APA

boss around. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boss%20around

MLA

“boss around.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boss%20around. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “boss around,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boss%20around.

Source: boss around on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.