show who's boss
To demonstrate oneself to be dominant; to show that one has the upper hand.
When children are young, spanking is a familiar device to show who's boss.
boss
UK /bɒs/ US /bɔs/
noun 11verb 2name 2adj 1
Collocations
2(noun.)
ADJ
big | company, party, union
Definitions
noun
1
A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor.
The boss of the company was going to Spain for work.
February 18, 2018, Dawn Pine, Strategies for Dealing with a Bad Boss we have some vindictive people as bosses, and you don’t want to be the target of their wrath.
2
A person in charge of a business or company.
Chat turned to whisper when the boss entered the conference room.
My boss complains that I'm always late to work.
3
A leader, the head of an organized group or team.
They named him boss because he had good leadership skills.
4
The head of a political party in a given region or district.
He is the Republican boss in Kentucky.
5
The male owner or man in charge of a large rural property.
Above all, she must not tell the boss of any little irregularity she may see.
verb
1
To exercise authoritative control over; to tell (someone) what to do, often repeatedly.
By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed / Without you, I’m certain, we’d all have been lost.
His sisters bossed him and spoiled him. All their lives he was to go on being their little brother, who could do no wrong, because he was the baby; [...]
adj
1
Of excellent quality, first-rate.
That is a boss Zefron poster.
Boy 2: He's the neatest looking guy on TV! Boy 3: I'll say! Boy 1: He sure is! Boy 3: Boy, the way he talks is really boss!
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
The boss of the company was going to Spain for work.
Wiktionary02
February 18, 2018, Dawn Pine, Strategies for Dealing with a Bad Boss we have some vindictive people as bosses, and you don’t want to be the target of their wrath.
Wiktionary03
Chat turned to whisper when the boss entered the conference room.
Wiktionary04
By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed / Without you, I’m certain, we’d all have been lost.
Wiktionary05
His sisters bossed him and spoiled him. All their lives he was to go on being their little brother, who could do no wrong, because he was the baby; [...]
Wiktionary06
She bossed him, and he's never gotten over it. She still orders him around, and instead of telling her to go soak her head, he just says 'Yes, ma'am' as weak as a newborn jellyfish [...]
WiktionaryUsage Notes
i Register
In some senses, boss is marked as slang, obsolete, US. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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