boss
gb/bˈɔs/ us/bˈɔs/
A2
English
~ 2400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Person who manages others
The person who tells workers what to do and makes decisions in a job or company.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s boss
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.
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.)
Collocations
immediate boss
|new boss
|former boss
|tough boss
|report to a boss
Themes
business
|workplace
|management
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- My boss approved my vacation request.
- She asked her boss for a raise.
- His boss gave him a new project to complete.
Learner examples
- My boss is very kind.
- I talk to my boss every day.
- Her boss is not in the office today.
Noun
informal
B1
entity
2
Person highly skilled or dominant
Someone who is very good at something or controls a situation well.
Usage pattern:
be a boss at [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this means the person is literally their work supervisor, but here it is slang for skill or dominance.
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.)
Collocations
act like a boss
|play like a boss
Themes
slang
|achievement
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She handled that meeting like a boss.
- He's the boss when it comes to cooking.
- You wrote that code like a real boss.
Learner examples
- He plays football like a boss.
- She can cook like a boss.
- You dance like a boss.
Verb
informal
B1
action
3
Order someone around
To keep telling someone what to do in a way they may not like.
Usage pattern:
boss [someone] around
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with being someone's official manager. In informal use, it can mean acting controlling even without formal authority.
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.)
Collocations
boss people around
Themes
interpersonal
|conflict
|communication
|relationships
|work
Examples
- Stop trying to boss me around!
- She likes to boss her younger brother around.
- He spent the afternoon bossing the volunteers around.
Learner examples
- Don't boss me around.
- She bosses her team too much.
- He bosses his friends at school.
adjective
slang
B2
property
4
Excellent or impressive
Very good or cool.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this usage is informal and mainly used in certain dialects or among younger speakers.
Synonyms
awesome (Very positive and enthusiastic; widely used slang.)
|
cool (Casual praise for something pleasing or stylish.)
Antonyms
lame (Slang for unimpressive or boring.)
Collocations
boss move
|boss car
Themes
slang
|praise
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Examples
- That was a boss performance!
- Your new shoes are totally boss.
- We had a boss time at the party.
Learner examples
- This game is boss.
- Your idea is boss.
- That song is boss.
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.