micromanage
/ˈmaɪkrəʊmænɪdʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmaɪkrəʊmænɪdʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌmī-krō-ˈma-nij/ (ame, mw)
micromanage — verb
- micromanagepresent simple I / you / we / they
- micromanageshe / she / it
- micromanagedpast simple
- micromanaging-ing form
1. to direct the work of other people by checking and controlling even the smallest
to direct the work of other people by checking and controlling even the smallest steps yourself, usually in a way that annoys them or stops them from doing the job well.
Nia complained that her new boss tried to micromanage every email she sent to clients.
micromanage + [unit of work] for excessive supervision
Good team leaders trust their staff and do not micromanage daily decisions.
common negative collocation: do not micromanage
Rodrigo kept phoning the shop from home to micromanage the staff.
The new manager promised the engineers she would not micromanage their coding work.
Parents who micromanage their children's homework often raise teenagers who cannot make decisions alone.
- overmanage
Close synonym; slightly more neutral and less common in everyday speech.
- hover over
Phrasal verb, more informal; focuses on physical or watchful presence rather than directing tasks.
- nitpick
Focuses on criticising small flaws after the fact, while micromanage covers controlling the work as it happens.
文法句型
micromanage + [person/team]
micromanage + [project/process]
用法筆記
Strongly negative in tone — speakers use it to criticise a boss, parent, or coach who controls too much. The subject is almost always a person in authority, and the object is usually the work, decisions, or daily lives of those under them.