Meanings
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1
adj
Obliging, attentive, eager to please.
Elizabeth's misery increased, at such unnecessary, such officious attention!
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2
adj
Offensively intrusive or interfering in offering advice and services.
The help tended to be officious, the rules, if heeded, restrictive, and the management meddlesome.
Thesaurus
Word family
Forms
officiouslyofficiousness
Derived forms
inofficiousofficiouslyofficiousnessoverofficioussuperofficiousultraofficiousunofficious
Etymology
15th century, from Middle English offycyous, from Latin officiōsus (“kindly”), from officium (“service”).