napoleon
n. countablen. a person who is very short but acts very bossy or aggressive to make up for it. It comes from the name of a famous French leader who people thought was short.
n. a person, typically a man of short stature, who exhibits an overly aggressive or domineering personality to compensate for a perceived physical deficiency. Informal in register; often used in the phrase 'Napoleon complex'.
My boss is a total Napoleon who loves to shout.
The new manager is a bit of a Napoleon, constantly trying to prove his authority by making unnecessary rules.
Psychologists often debate whether the behavior of a so-called Napoleon is a genuine personality trait or merely a social stereotype projected onto shorter men who show any degree of ambition.
From French Napoléon, from Italian Napoleone, name of an early saint, of uncertain origin; possibly from the Germanic clan name Nibelung. By folk etymology explained as Napoli (“Naples”) + leone (“lion”).
Often used metaphorically or as part of the idiom 'Napoleon complex'.