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
Her charming luxury treasure trove has none of that officious chilliness that defines the typical store of its ilk but instead feels like a brocanterie crammed with interesting, unexpected luxury goods from across the world.
—
Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 2 Jan. 2023
Cronenberg, in turn, has maintained a cool contempt for officious pundits and their agendas.
—Adam Nayman, The New Yorker, 3 June 2022
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
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
See All Example Sentences for officious
Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 2 Jan. 2023
Cronenberg, in turn, has maintained a cool contempt for officious pundits and their agendas.
—Adam Nayman, The New Yorker, 3 June 2022
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
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
See All Example Sentences for officious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for officious
Adjective
-
With busy schedules, sitting down to eat a meal as a family can be tricky and cause feelings of guilt.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Each carried one passenger in the back seat, all of them busy on their phones.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The LitterLens takes a less intrusive approach.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The family is close-knit, intrusive, rude and menacing.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The fact is, in a newsroom full of meddlesome, sometimes pushy people, Beverly was none of that.—
Brad Schmitt,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The special ops unit chases every lead possible, from bribes to Mexican drug cartels, a meddlesome L.A. District Attorney (Merrick McCartha) and corruption in the government of Belarus.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
The service Smart, knowledgable, and friendly without being obtrusive.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The big drawback is the fact that the machine is obtrusive, awkward, and decidedly unsexy.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Each individual increase feels tolerable – annoying, maybe, but not catastrophic.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The consequences of all this information range from mildly annoying to very serious.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Officious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/officious. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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