How to Use bossy in a Sentence

bossy

adjective
  • There is no such thing as someone who's bossy, there's just a boss.
    — Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 20 Mar. 2023
  • The shark is a pleasing stand-in for a big bossy grownup, easily fooled.
    — Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Typically, someone who’s very bossy would be the first one to go.
    — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 13 Oct. 2020
  • Linda, who’s British and middle-aged, is bossy, loud and streetwise.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2023
  • Imagine the bossy, vegetal crunch of a nearly raw bell pepper.
    — Adam Erace, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Dec. 2025
  • They’re criticized for being too bossy and assertive, and not caring enough.
    — Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 July 2021
  • Who is a person that was very creative and could come off as this witty, very bossy diva lady but still have a heart?
    — Ilana Woldenberg, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Interactions with friends and groups could get out of hand with high energy that becomes bossy.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Their abrasive sides are on display, from John’s gum-chewing side-eye to Paul’s bossy rants.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2021
  • For instance, when women act with equal assertiveness to men, they are perceived as being too bossy.
    — Dr Margie Warrell, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2022
  • Massive, bossy Jupiter pulls the center slightly out of true with its gravity field.
    — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 2 July 2020
  • McCartney acts a little bossy, and comes off as the engine trying to drive them to complete their songs.
    — oregonlive, 25 Nov. 2021
  • There are many ways to help others recognize you as a leader without coming across as bossy or arrogant.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2021
  • On the second take, Russell’s bossy tone rubbed up nicely against the neediness of the moment.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
  • These bossy little fishes are generally kept in check by mid-size predatory fish that also live in the kelp forests.
    — Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2017
  • Katie views Rachel as a freeloader, while Rachel finds Katie bossy and insufferable.
    — Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
  • Giving a clear direction is different than being bossy!
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
  • No woman can run a house for 30 or 40 years without getting bossy and thinking that her ways are the only ways.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 3 Mar. 2022
  • Ginnie is bossy about other people’s behavior and Yvette is a know-it-all about diseases, having had so many.
    — Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
  • Intolerant and bossy leftism has migrated from campus out to the broader world.
    — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 29 June 2022
  • In one scene, Watson gets a bit bossy, triggering this observation from the suspect.
    — Mark Kennedy, Star Tribune, 20 May 2021
  • Kate as the soft-spoken, easygoing angel and Meghan as the bossy, demanding diva.
    — Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 8 Mar. 2021
  • The only thing New York therapists couldn’t really provide was that bossy, brusque vibe.
    — Parizaad Khan Sethi, Vogue, 2 Feb. 2023
  • Still wounded by Laramie ditching him for Walker, Lloyd’s being stubborn, grumpy, and bossy.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2021
  • Abby was the bossy big sister to Elizabeth and Edward IV, who are stacked in age by three years.
    — Cheryl Hall, Dallas News, 13 Dec. 2020
  • Some 7-year-olds can be bossy and prescriptive, telling their parents everything, and some 7-year-olds don’t hesitate to join in on the fun.
    — Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2023
  • With valuable one-on-one time, Endicott learned Aubree was the artistic tomboy and Maddie the bossy diva.
    — Savannaheadens, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2023
  • Working as an ambassador for British trade, he was decried as overbearing and bossy by numerous colleagues.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, 17 Mar. 2022
  • Such activity comes naturally to mandonas, from the Spanish mandón, which means bossy.
    — Elaine Ayala, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Oct. 2022
  • Cooper plays Peaches, a bossy flight attendant in drag attempting to organize the boarding process.
    — Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bossy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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