Meanings
present singular third person micromanages · participle present micromanaging · participle past micromanaged · past micromanaged
- ambitransitiveTo manage, direct, or control a person, group, or system to an unnecessary level of detail or precision.
The employees complained that their boss was micromanaging when she insisted that they account for their time in fifteen-minute intervals.
2 more examples
Howard, who did not have a vote on the issue, said his support of the ordinance comes from a deep desire to keep LaVerkin free from those who want to micromanage its resources and land.
2001 July 5, Nancy Perkins, “LaVerkin Council declares town a U.N.-Free Zone”, in Deseret News, archived from the original on 17 Jan 2024As GBR is intended to operate at arm's length from government while also being responsible for implementing a 30-year strategy, it is hoped that the industry will be less micro-managed by ministers and officials at both the DfT and within the Treasury.
2022 November 30, Cara Murphy, “A new mindset for GBR”, in RAIL, number 971, page 44
Origin
Back-formation from micromanagement, equivalent to micro- + manage.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 微操
- 微操 (wēicāo)Translations
Polish zarządzać w skali mikro
- zarządzać w skali mikroTranslations
Spanish microgestionar, microgerenciar
- microgestionarTranslations
- microgerenciarTranslations
Cite this entry
micromanage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/micromanage
“micromanage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/micromanage. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “micromanage,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/micromanage.
Source: micromanage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.