officious

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: of=fi=cious

CIDE DICTIONARY

officious, a. [L. officiosus: cf. F. officieux. See Office.].

•  Pertaining to, or being in accordance with, duty.  [1913 Webster]

  "If there were any lie in the case, it could be no more than an officious and venial one."  [1913 Webster]
•  Disposed to serve; kind; obliging.  [1913 Webster]

  "Yet not to earth are those bright luminaries
  Officious."  [1913 Webster]

  "They were tolerably well bred, very officious, humane, and hospitable."  [1913 Webster]
•  Importunately interposing services; intermeddling in affairs in which one has no concern; meddlesome.  [1913 Webster]

  "You are too officious
  In her behalf that scorns your services."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Impertinent; meddling. See Impertinent.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

officious, adj.
1 asserting one's authority aggressively; domineering.
2 intrusive or excessively enthusiastic in offering help etc.; meddlesome.
3 Diplomacy informal, unofficial.

Derivative

officiously adv. officiousness n.

Etymology

L officiosus obliging f. officium: see OFFICE

THESAURUS

officious

aggressive, bold, busy, busybody, demanding, dictatorial, forward, impertinent, importunate, inquisitive, insistent, interfering, intruding, intrusive, meddlesome, meddling, nosy, obtrusive, persistent, presumptuous, prying, pushing, pushy, self-appointed, snoopy

ROGET THESAURUS

officious

Activity

N activity, briskness, liveliness, animation, life, vivacity, spirit, dash, energy, snap, vim, nimbleness, agility, smartness, quickness, velocity, alacrity, promptitude, despatch, dispatch, expedition, haste, punctuality, eagerness, zeal, ardor, perfervidum aingenium, empressement, earnestness, intentness, abandon, vigor, devotion, exertion, industry, assiduity, assiduousness, sedulity, laboriousness, drudgery, painstaking, diligence, perseverance, indefatigation, habits of business, vigilance, wakefulness, sleeplessness, restlessness, insomnia, pervigilium, insomnium, racketing, movement, bustle, stir, fuss, ado, bother, pottering, fidget, fidgetiness, flurry, officiousness, dabbling, meddling, interference, interposition, intermeddling, tampering with, intrigue, press of business, no sinecure, plenty to do, many irons in the fire, great doings, busy hum of men, battle of life, thick of the action, housewife, busy bee, new brooms, sharp fellow, sharp blade, devotee, enthusiast, zealot, meddler, intermeddler, intriguer, busybody, pickthank, hummer, hustler, live man, rustler, active, brisk, brisk as a lark, brisk as a bee, lively, animated, vivacious, alive, alive and kicking, frisky, spirited, stirring, nimble, nimble as a squirrel, agile, light-footed, nimble-footed, featly, tripping, quick, prompt, yare, instant, ready, alert, spry, sharp, smart, fast, quick as a lamplighter, expeditious, awake, broad awake, go-ahead, live wide-awake, forward, eager, strenuous, zealous, enterprising, in earnest, resolute, industrious, assiduous, diligent, sedulous, notable, painstaking, intent, indefatigable, unwearied, unsleeping, never tired, plodding, hard-working, businesslike, workaday, bustling, restless, restless as a hyena, fussy, fidgety, pottering, busy, busy as hen with one chicken, working, at work, on duty, in harness, up in arms, on one's legs, at call, up and doing, up and stirring, busy, occupied, hard at work, hard at it, up to one's ears in, full of business, busy as a bee, busy as a one-armed paperhanger, meddling, meddlesome, pushing, officious, overofficious, intrigant, astir, stirring, agoing, afoot, on foot, in full swing, eventful, on the alert, actively, with life and spirit, with might and main &c, with haste, with wings, full tilt, in mediis rebus, Int, be alive, look alive, look sharp!, move on, push on!, keep moving!, go ahead!, stir your stumps!, age quod agis!, jaldi!, karo!, step lively!, carpe diem, seize the day, nulla dies sine linea, nec mora nec requies, the plot thickens, No sooner said than done, veni vidi vici, catch a weasel asleep, abends wird der Faule fleissig, dictum ac factum, schwere Arbeit in der Jugend ist sanfte Ruhe im Al, hard work in youth means soft rest in age, the busy hum of men.