boss
gb/bˈɔs/ us/bˈɔs/
A2
English
~ 2400
főnök, mester, ász, művész, profi, valaminek az ördöge, varázsló, zseni, főnökösködik, parancsolgat, baromi jó, király, remek
NOUN
A2
1
főnök
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s boss
My boss approved my vacation request.
A főnököm engedélyezte a szabadságomat.
She asked her boss for a raise.
Fizetésemelést kért a főnökétől.
His boss gave him a new project to complete.
Learner examples
My boss is very kind.
A főnököm nagyon kedves.
I talk to my boss every day.
Mindennap beszélek a főnökömmel.
Her boss is not in the office today.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'boss' with 'owner'. A boss may not be the owner of the company; they can simply be a manager or supervisor.
Meaning
Person who manages others
Collocations
immediate boss
|new boss
|former boss
|tough boss
|report to a boss
Synonyms
manager (Often used for someone in charge of a team or department, especially in business settings.)
|
supervisor (More formal and often used in workplace or HR contexts.)
Antonyms
employee (An employee works under a boss's direction.)
Themes
business
|workplace
|management
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The person who tells workers what to do and makes decisions in a job or company.
A person who has authority over and directs the work of others in a business, organization, or workplace.
NOUN
B1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
be a boss at [something]
She handled that meeting like a boss.
Profi módon kezelte azt a megbeszélést.
He's the boss when it comes to cooking.
Főzésben ő az ász.
You wrote that code like a real boss.
Learner examples
He plays football like a boss.
Úgy focizik, mint egy profi.
She can cook like a boss.
Úgy tud főzni, mint egy profi.
You dance like a boss.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this means the person is literally their work supervisor, but here it is slang for skill or dominance.
Meaning
Person highly skilled or dominant
Collocations
act like a boss
|play like a boss
Synonyms
champion (Emphasizes winning or being the best, often in competitions.)
|
master (Highlights complete skill or control over something.)
Antonyms
amateur (Suggests someone with little skill or experience in an activity.)
Themes
slang
|achievement
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Someone who is very good at something or controls a situation well.
A person who is extremely competent, confident, or impressive in a particular activity or situation.
VERB
B1
INFORMAL
3
főnökösködik
B2
parancsolgat
B2
Usage pattern:
boss [someone] around
Stop trying to boss me around!
Ne próbálj meg nekem parancsolgatni!
She likes to boss her younger brother around.
Szeret főnökösködni az öccsével.
He spent the afternoon bossing the volunteers around.
Learner examples
Don't boss me around.
Ne főnökösködj velem.
She bosses her team too much.
Túl sokat parancsolgat a csapatának.
He bosses his friends at school.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with being someone's official manager. In informal use, it can mean acting controlling even without formal authority.
Meaning
Order someone around
Collocations
boss people around
Synonyms
order around (Similar meaning but slightly more neutral; focuses on giving commands.)
|
dictate to (Emphasizes imposing one's will on others.)
Antonyms
follow (To take orders instead of giving them.)
Themes
interpersonal
|conflict
|communication
|relationships
|work
Definition
To keep telling someone what to do in a way they may not like.
To tell someone what to do in a way that shows authority, often annoyingly or unnecessarily.
B2
SLANG
4
That was a boss performance!
Ez aztán király teljesítmény volt!
Your new shoes are totally boss.
Az új cipőd nagyon király.
We had a boss time at the party.
Learner examples
This game is boss.
Ez a játék király.
Your idea is boss.
Király az ötleted.
That song is boss.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this usage is informal and mainly used in certain dialects or among younger speakers.
Meaning
Excellent or impressive
Collocations
boss move
|boss car
Synonyms
awesome (Very positive and enthusiastic; widely used slang.)
|
cool (Casual praise for something pleasing or stylish.)
Antonyms
lame (Slang for unimpressive or boring.)
Themes
slang
|praise
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
Very good or cool.
Very good, impressive, or enjoyable.
Grammar
Dictionary form
boss
IPA
GB/bˈɔs/
US/bˈɔs/
Syllables & stress
boss (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (boss)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: boss
- Plural: bosses
Verb
- Base: boss
- 3rd Person Singular: bosses
- Present Participle: bossing
- Past: bossed
Word family
Forms
bosses
noun
bossing
verb
bossed
verb
Core family
bossy
adjective B1
Related words
bossiness
noun
Advanced or less common
bossily
adverb
Expressions
boss around
1/bˈɔs ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
informal
Give overbearing orders to someone
To keep telling someone what to do in an annoying way.
Examples
- Don't try to boss me around.
- She bosses her classmates around all the time.
like a boss
1/lˈaɪk ə bˈɔs/
idiom
informal
With skill and confidence
To do something very well and with confidence.
Examples
- She finished the project like a boss.
- He handled that problem like a boss.
meet the new boss, same as the old boss
1/mˈit ðə njˈu bˈɔs | sˈeɪm ˈæz ðə ˈoʊld bˈɔs/
idiom
informal
New leader behaves like old one
When a new person in charge acts just like the previous one, often disappointingly.
Examples
- The company changed CEOs, but it's meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
- Politics often feels like meet the new boss, same as the old boss.