Officious
/əˈfɪʃəs/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Officious means being too ready to give help, advice, or orders, especially when people do not want it. It often describes someone who acts like they have more authority than they really do, or who interferes in other people's business without being asked.
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See It in Action
Being overly eager to offer help or advice in an annoying way
- •The officious clerk kept interrupting customers with unnecessary instructions.
- •She was offended by his officious manner when he tried to tell her how to dress.
- •An officious neighbor often gives unwanted suggestions about how to care for the garden.
Acting like an authority without permission
- •The officious security guard tried to control people outside the building even though it was a public area.
- •His officious behavior made others avoid him at work.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "officious" like "helpful," but in a way that is too much or unwanted — like someone who keeps giving advice even when you don’t ask for it.
- ✓Picture a person who stands very close and tells you what to do, even if you want to do it your own way.
- ✓It's the feeling when someone interrupts your work to tell you how to do it, making you feel annoyed.
- ✓Sounds like "official" but with "-ious" → imagine someone acting very official and serious, but without real power, pushing their ideas on others.
- ✓Think of a busybody neighbor who always wants to control everything in the street, even though it’s none of their business.
- ✓NOT like "helpful" (which is wanted and kind), "officious" is pushy and unwanted help.
- ✓NOT like "bossy" (which is about real power), "officious" is about acting like you have power when you don’t.
Try Other Words
- •Meddlesome: interfering in others' affairs without permission (Use when someone is involved in private matters in an annoying way)
- •Pushy: trying too hard to get what you want (Use when someone is forceful or demanding)
- •Intrusive: entering or interrupting without welcome (Use when someone invades privacy or space)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "offic-" (related to office or official) + "-ious" (a suffix meaning "full of" or "having the quality of")
- •Etymology: From Latin "officiosus," meaning "dutiful" or "obliging," but in English it took a negative meaning of being too eager or meddling
- •Historical development: Originally positive, meaning helpful or obliging; over time, it changed to mean annoying or interfering help
- •Modern usage: Used to describe people who are annoyingly eager to offer help or advice without being asked
Reflect & Connect
•When can being officious be helpful, and when does it become a problem?
•How do cultural differences affect what people consider officious behavior?
Fill in the blanks
1.The officious assistant kept ___ advice even though no one asked for it.
2.People often feel annoyed when an officious person ___ their personal decisions.
3.Unlike a helpful guide, an officious person gives advice in a ___ way.
4.The manager dismissed the officious comments because they came from someone without ___.
5.In some places, officious behavior is seen as caring, but in others, it is ___.
6.When someone is officious, they usually ___ themselves into situations where they are not wanted.
7.The officious neighbor would often ___ suggestions about how to improve the street.