Phrasal verb
boss around
Definition
phrasal verb. to tell someone what to do in an annoying way, as if you are their manager.
phrasal verb. to exercise control over another person in a domineering or overbearing manner; typically used to describe informal social dynamics rather than official hierarchies.
Examples
“Stop trying to boss me around all the time.”
“The older children often try to boss around the younger ones on the playground.”
“Even though she had no formal authority, she frequently attempted to boss around her colleagues, leading to significant tension within the department.”
Examples
simple
“Stop trying to boss me around all the time.”
contextual
“The older children often try to boss around the younger ones on the playground.”
complex
“Even though she had no formal authority, she frequently attempted to boss around her colleagues, leading to significant tension within the department.”
Usage
usually carries a negative connotation of being rude or controlling.
Teaching tip
point out that this is often used with 'stop' or 'don't' in imperatives; the object can go between 'boss' and 'around' or after 'around' unless it is a pronoun.
Pitfall
He bosses around me.
He bosses me around.
when the object is a pronoun like 'me' or 'him', it must go between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
around
Separability
optional
Pattern
boss (+ object) + around (+ object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/boss-around