boss
/bɒs/ (bre, ipa) · /bɔːs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbȯs ˈbäs/ (ame, mw) · /bɑːs/ (ame, ipa)
boss — 名詞
1. the worker or business owner with authority over other employees, especially the
上司；老闆
工作上管人並下指示的人
the worker or business owner with authority over other employees, especially the one who gives instructions and decides how the work is done.
Priya asked her boss for Friday off after lunch.
Priya 吃完午餐後向她的上司請星期五的假。
ask your boss for time off
The new boss changed the shop schedule on his first day.
新老闆在上班第一天就改了店裡的班表。
At the factory, every boss must check safety rules each morning.
在那間工廠裡，每位老闆每天早上都得檢查安全規定。
After dinner, Yusuf called his boss about tomorrow's early train.
晚餐後，Yusuf 打電話給他的老闆談明天一早的火車。
- manager
more formal and often used as an official job title
- supervisor
focuses on checking and directing work, often at a lower level than a boss
- employer
the person or company that hires and pays you; not always your direct daily boss
文法句型
my/the boss
boss of + company/team
用法筆記
Usually names the person you report to at work. It can refer to a manager inside a company or the owner of a small business; distinguish from sense 3, which is broader and more situational.
常見錯誤
2. used in the phrase 'your own boss' for someone who earns money by working indepe
自己當老闆
自己工作做生意，不受雇於人
used in the phrase 'your own boss' for someone who earns money by working independently and making their own job decisions.
After ten office years, Beatriz became her own boss and opened a cafe.
Beatriz 在辦公室做了十年後，自己當老闆開了一家咖啡館。
fixed phrase: be your own boss
Driving his own taxi lets Omar be his own boss.
自己開計程車讓 Omar 可以自己當老闆。
Noa wants to be her own boss, so she sells cakes online.
Noa 想自己當老闆，所以在網路上賣蛋糕。
Since leaving the bank, Theo has been his own boss.
Theo 離開銀行後，就一直是自己當老闆。
- freelancer
usually works independently for clients rather than employing staff
- business owner
emphasizes owning a business, not just working independently
- self-employed person
formal description for someone not employed by another company
- employee
works for an employer instead of deciding their own work
文法句型
be your own boss
用法筆記
Almost only appears in the fixed phrase 'be your own boss'; it does not usually name a person by itself. Distinguish from sense 1, where a boss is the person you work for.
常見錯誤
3. the person whose opinion decides what happens in a group, project, or other situ
做主的人
某情況中真正拍板的人
the person whose opinion decides what happens in a group, project, or other situation.
On this trip, Grandma is the boss because she planned everything.
這趟旅行裡，奶奶是做主的人，因為一切都是她安排的。
pattern: be the boss
In the studio, the director is the boss when cameras start rolling.
在攝影棚裡，攝影機一開拍，導演就是老大。
Even the investors listened quietly because Mei was the boss at that table.
連投資人都安靜地聽著，因為那一桌是 Mei 在做主。
For one day, the oldest child got to be boss of the game.
那天輪到家裡最大的孩子決定遊戲怎麼玩。
- leader
broader word that may suggest guidance as well as control
- decision-maker
formal term focusing on final choice rather than personal authority
- chief
stronger and sometimes more official or military in tone
- follower
someone who accepts direction instead of giving it
- subordinate
formal word for a lower-ranking person
文法句型
be the boss
boss of + group
用法筆記
Often appears with 'be the boss' in a temporary setting such as a meeting, trip, or game. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about who decides in the moment, not someone's job title.
常見錯誤
4. a powerful enemy in a video game that players usually meet at a key point and mu
頭目
遊戲裡很難打的重要敵人
a powerful enemy in a video game that players usually meet at a key point and must beat to move on.
The desert boss threw fireballs across the bridge.
沙漠頭目朝橋上丟出一顆顆火球。
Our team lost twice before beating the final boss.
我們隊伍輸了兩次才打贏最後頭目。
gaming collocation: final boss
At level ten, players meet a giant spider boss underground.
到了第十關，玩家會在地下遇到一隻巨大的蜘蛛頭目。
The ice boss moved faster after its left arm broke.
冰系頭目左臂斷掉後，移動得更快了。
- ally
a character who helps the player instead of fighting them
文法句型
final boss
boss fight
用法筆記
Common in gaming language, especially in combinations like 'final boss' and 'boss fight'. Usually refers to a named enemy blocking progress.
5. a round part that sticks out from a surface and is added as decoration, for exam
凸飾
表面上凸起的圓形裝飾
a round part that sticks out from a surface and is added as decoration, for example on metal or ceilings.
Gold bosses lined the rim of the old shield.
那面舊盾牌的邊緣排著金色凸飾。
A round boss stood out from the center of the wooden door.
木門中央有一個凸起的圓形凸飾。
raised ornament on a surface
The museum guide pointed to stone bosses above the church arch.
博物館導覽員指著教堂拱門上方的石製凸飾。
Dust filled the carved bosses on the hall ceiling.
大廳天花板上的雕刻凸飾積滿了灰塵。
- stud
usually smaller and often functional as well as decorative
- ornament
much broader word for any decorative detail
- projection
technical word for anything sticking out, whether decorative or not
文法句型
stone boss
ceiling boss
用法筆記
Mainly found in art, architecture, and museum writing. Most learners meet it when reading about old shields, doors, or church ceilings.
boss — 動詞
1. to keep giving someone orders in an annoying or forceful way.
使喚
老是指使別人做事
to keep giving someone orders in an annoying or forceful way.
The coach bossed the younger players around during warm-up.
教練在熱身時一直使喚比較年輕的球員。
pattern: boss someone around
Ravi hates it when customers boss him about like a child.
Ravi 很討厭客人像對小孩一樣對他呼來喝去。
pattern: boss someone about
At home, nobody lets the oldest brother boss everyone around.
在家裡，沒有人會讓家中最大的哥哥一直使喚大家。
The class monitor kept bossing the group about all afternoon.
班長整個下午都在對那一組人指手畫腳。
- order around
closest everyday synonym and usually clearly negative
- push around
stronger and suggests unfair treatment of someone weaker
- dominate
broader and can refer to power without constant spoken orders
文法句型
boss + person + around
boss + person + about
用法筆記
Usually negative. The object is a person, and the verb often appears with 'around' or 'about'.
常見錯誤
2. to control a game, match, or part of play so strongly that you decide how it goe
掌控
在比賽中牢牢控制局面
to control a game, match, or part of play so strongly that you decide how it goes.
Spain bossed the match from the first whistle.
Spain 從第一聲哨響起就掌控了整場比賽。
sports writing: boss the match
For twenty minutes, our midfield bossed play in the rain.
在那二十分鐘裡，我們的中場在雨中掌控了比賽節奏。
common object: play
The home side bossed the second half after the red card.
紅牌出現後，主隊掌控了整個下半場。
With calm passing, Hana bossed the game and set the pace.
靠著冷靜的傳球，Hana 掌控了比賽並帶起節奏。
- struggle
suggests difficulty instead of control
- lose control
the opposite result in the flow of play
文法句型
boss + the game/match
boss + play/midfield
用法筆記
Common in sports reporting. The object is usually 'the game', 'the match', 'play', or part of a game such as 'midfield' or 'the second half'.
常見錯誤
boss — 形容詞
1. extremely good, enjoyable, or impressive.
超棒
非常好，很令人喜歡
extremely good, enjoyable, or impressive.
That new noodle place is boss on cold rainy nights.
那家新麵店在又冷又下雨的晚上超棒。
informal adjective in casual praise
Diego showed us a boss trick on his skateboard.
Diego 給我們看了一個超棒的滑板招式。
The drummer's solo was boss, and the crowd screamed.
鼓手的獨奏超棒，觀眾都尖叫了。
Those speakers look boss in the small music room.
那些喇叭放在那間小音樂室裡看起來超棒。
文法句型
be boss
look/sound boss
用法筆記
Common in casual speech and online comments, not in formal writing. In many varieties it sounds playful or regional.