as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
an officious little man who was always telling everyone else how to do their jobs
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Recent Examples of officious
As her avenging brother, Laertes, the tenor David Butt Philip is ardent; as her officious father, Polonius, the tenor William Burden avoids caricature.
—
New York Times, 15 May 2022
There's an officious young secretary, Ms. McCormack (Laurie Veldheer), to keep reminding him of that, but the thrust and parry of the fast-dancing dialogue is between Sam (huffy, preoccupied) and Karen (tizzying, agitated, eager to please).
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2022
The soul of this community is local queen bee Sherry Conrad (Search Party alum Shalita Grant, the season’s MVP), an officious, controlling momfluencer with a knack for stealing the spotlight.
—Judy Berman, Time, 17 Oct. 2021
At his side is the officious Bev Keane (a chilling Samantha Sloyan, from Hill House), the prototypical timeless, ageless, practically bloodless church lady, dressed like an overgrown Girl Scout and always judging, scolding, guilting.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for officious
New York Times, 15 May 2022
There's an officious young secretary, Ms. McCormack (Laurie Veldheer), to keep reminding him of that, but the thrust and parry of the fast-dancing dialogue is between Sam (huffy, preoccupied) and Karen (tizzying, agitated, eager to please).
—Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2022
The soul of this community is local queen bee Sherry Conrad (Search Party alum Shalita Grant, the season’s MVP), an officious, controlling momfluencer with a knack for stealing the spotlight.
—Judy Berman, Time, 17 Oct. 2021
At his side is the officious Bev Keane (a chilling Samantha Sloyan, from Hill House), the prototypical timeless, ageless, practically bloodless church lady, dressed like an overgrown Girl Scout and always judging, scolding, guilting.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for officious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for officious
Adjective
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The lander has been busy working through its science tasks.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
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However, the Panthers were able to get a two-year deal done with cornerback Mike Jackson after a busy day of negotiating elsewhere.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Groups who may feel targeted by Trump rhetoric and policies – trans people, in particular, may feel less safe and fear intrusive inspections and questions at the border.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
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These professionals will likely ask you about your personal and financial circumstances before entering an agreement, which might seem intrusive.—
Kirk Pepi,
Sacramento Bee,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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With little more to do, Brett finds himself in constant ego clashes with his ex-wife Melissa’s (Nora Zehetner) meddlesome new husband, Connor (Josh Ventura).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2025
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The Taliban face the poverty, internal strife, illicit crops, meddlesome neighbors, and threat of insurrections that are endemic to their country—and have proved the bane of all its rulers.—
Carter Malkasian,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Aug. 2021
Adjective
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These compact boxes are cheaper, less obtrusive, and easier to install, and analysts see a bright future for them.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
31 Dec. 2013
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The Switch 2's kickstand is a less obtrusive U-shaped stand that looks like it can be set at a wider range of angles than even the OLED Switch.—
Will Greenwald,
PCMAG,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Frozen snack foods sold under Whole Foods Market’s 365 store brand got recalled nationwide for not being what the packaging says, an annoying mistake to some people but a possibly fatal one to other customers.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
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The Achilles — and any accompanying tendonitis — is the most annoying and concerning issue for a skill player who turns 29 in June.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to officious
Cite this Entry
“Officious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/officious. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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