A boss is a person who is in charge or gives orders to other people. Your mom's boss at work tells her what projects to do and when they need to be finished. A construction site has a boss who decides which workers do which jobs. The person who runs a restaurant, makes the schedule, and hires new employees is the boss.

When you're the boss of something, you have the authority to make decisions and the responsibility to make sure things go well. Being a good boss can mean giving clear direction while also listening to people's ideas, treating them fairly, and helping them succeed. A bad boss might yell, play favorites, or take credit for other people's work.

The word can also be used as a verb to mean controlling or being in charge of something. If your friend scores three goals in soccer, you might say she really bossed that game. When someone calls you bossy, though, they usually mean you're acting like you're in charge when you're actually not, or that you're giving orders without considering what others think. There's a big difference between having authority and just acting like you do.