officious

adjective

of·fi·cious ə-ˈfi-shəs How to pronounce officious (audio)

: volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : meddlesome

officious people who are always ready to offer unasked advice

: informal, unofficial

officious conversations between foreign ministers

archaic

: kind, obliging

: dutiful

officiously adverb

officiousness noun

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We Are Eager to Help You Define Officious

Don't mistake officious for a rare synonym of official. Both words stem from the Latin noun officium (meaning "service" or "office"), but they have very different meanings. When the suffix -osus ("full of") was added to officium, Latin officiosus came into being, meaning "eager to serve, help, or perform a duty." When this adjective was borrowed into English as officious in the 15th century it described dutiful people and their actions. That use shifted a bit semantically to describe those eager to help or serve. By the late 16th century, however, officious was beginning to develop a negative sense describing a person who offers unwanted help. This pejorative sense has driven out the original "dutiful" and "eager to help" senses to become the predominant meaning of the word in modern English. Officious can also mean "of an informal or unauthorized nature," but that sense is not common.

Example Sentences

an officious little man who was always telling everyone else how to do their jobs

Recent Examples on the Web 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 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 On their first day, the resort manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) recommends an isolated beach and arranges for the family to be driven there along with a few other tourists, including an officious doctor (Rufus Sewell) and his family.

BostonGlobe.com, 22 July 2021 Many are proxies in the audience’s war with Matt, the kind of officious know-it-all whom people generally cross the street to avoid.

John Anderson, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2021 Nevarro’s cantina is now a school being run by a female protocol droid who sounds just as officious as C-3PO.

Lauren Morgan, EW.com, 20 Nov. 2020 See More

officious

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

busy
intruding
meddlesome
intrusive
obtrusive
annoying
interfering
nosy
meddling
presumptuous
pushy
rude
prying
nosey
insolent
bumptious
snoopy
impudent
protrusive
presuming
pushing
impertinent
trespassing
brazen
invading
inquisitive
curious
overbearing
pestiferous
harassing
bold
superserviceable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unobtrusive
uninvolved
taciturn
silent
withdrawn
reticent
quiet
reclusive
restrained
reserved
hands-off
subdued
retiring
inhibited

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of officious are impertinent, intrusive, meddlesome, and obtrusive. While all these words mean "given to thrusting oneself into the affairs of others," officious implies the offering of services or attentions that are unwelcome or annoying.

officious friends made the job harder

The words impertinent and officious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impertinent implies exceeding the bounds of propriety in showing interest or curiosity or in offering advice.

resented their impertinent interference

Although the words intrusive and officious have much in common, intrusive implies a tactless or otherwise objectionable thrusting into others' affairs.

tried to be helpful without being intrusive

In some situations, the words meddlesome and officious are roughly equivalent. However, meddlesome stresses an annoying and usually prying interference in others' affairs.

a meddlesome landlord

The meanings of obtrusive and officious largely overlap; however, obtrusive stresses improper or offensive conspicuousness of interfering actions.

expressed an obtrusive concern for his safety

单词	officious
释义	officious adjective of·fi·cious ə-ˈfi-shəs 1 : volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : meddlesome officious people who are always ready to offer unasked advice 2 : informal, unofficial officious conversations between foreign ministers 3 archaic a : kind, obliging b : dutiful officiously adverb officiousness noun Did you know? We Are Eager to Help You Define Officious Don't mistake officious for a rare synonym of official. Both words stem from the Latin noun officium (meaning "service" or "office"), but they have very different meanings. When the suffix -osus ("full of") was added to officium, Latin officiosus came into being, meaning "eager to serve, help, or perform a duty." When this adjective was borrowed into English as officious in the 15th century it described dutiful people and their actions. That use shifted a bit semantically to describe those eager to help or serve. By the late 16th century, however, officious was beginning to develop a negative sense describing a person who offers unwanted help. This pejorative sense has driven out the original "dutiful" and "eager to help" senses to become the predominant meaning of the word in modern English. Officious can also mean "of an informal or unauthorized nature," but that sense is not common. Synonyms busy interfering intruding intrusive meddlesome meddling nosy nosey obtrusive presuming presumptuous protrusive prying pushing pushy snoopy See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences an officious little man who was always telling everyone else how to do their jobs Recent Examples on the Web 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 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 On their first day, the resort manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) recommends an isolated beach and arranges for the family to be driven there along with a few other tourists, including an officious doctor (Rufus Sewell) and his family. BostonGlobe.com, 22 July 2021 Many are proxies in the audience’s war with Matt, the kind of officious know-it-all whom people generally cross the street to avoid. John Anderson, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2021 Nevarro’s cantina is now a school being run by a female protocol droid who sounds just as officious as C-3PO. Lauren Morgan, EW.com, 20 Nov. 2020 See More Word History Etymology Latin officiosus, from officium service, office First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b officious adjective 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 Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance busy intruding meddlesome intrusive obtrusive annoying interfering nosy meddling presumptuous pushy rude prying nosey insolent bumptious snoopy impudent protrusive presuming pushing impertinent trespassing brazen invading inquisitive curious overbearing pestiferous harassing bold superserviceable Antonyms & Near Antonyms unobtrusive uninvolved taciturn silent withdrawn reticent quiet reclusive restrained reserved hands-off subdued retiring inhibited See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of officious are impertinent, intrusive, meddlesome, and obtrusive. While all these words mean "given to thrusting oneself into the affairs of others," officious implies the offering of services or attentions that are unwelcome or annoying. officious friends made the job harder The words impertinent and officious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impertinent implies exceeding the bounds of propriety in showing interest or curiosity or in offering advice. resented their impertinent interference Although the words intrusive and officious have much in common, intrusive implies a tactless or otherwise objectionable thrusting into others' affairs. tried to be helpful without being intrusive In some situations, the words meddlesome and officious are roughly equivalent. However, meddlesome stresses an annoying and usually prying interference in others' affairs. a meddlesome landlord The meanings of obtrusive and officious largely overlap; however, obtrusive stresses improper or offensive conspicuousness of interfering actions. expressed an obtrusive concern for his safety
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officious

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

adjective

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