1
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
an imperious little boy who liked to tell the other scouts what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
an imperious movie star who thinks she's some sort of goddess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arbitrary
having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity
an office administrator with an imperious manner that really grates on people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
as war casualties mounted, the need for trained nurses became imperious
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imperious
But against Spain, the imperious combination that has been lacking for Wiegman’s side over the past 12 months returned.
—
Michael Cox, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Wilson, a former university president with an imperious air, returned from Europe a hero.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
Image Image Rival politicians were quick to call him a traitor and there is a contingent of Greenlandic politicians who are wary of Mr. Trump, seeing him as imperious and unpredictable.
—Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Llewellyn’s starting point for the makeup design was initial illustrations by Phillips and Reed’s color choices in order to do something with the makeup that drew more focus to Yeoh’s imperious performance, but always in complementary colors.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Michael Cox, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Wilson, a former university president with an imperious air, returned from Europe a hero.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
Image Image Rival politicians were quick to call him a traitor and there is a contingent of Greenlandic politicians who are wary of Mr. Trump, seeing him as imperious and unpredictable.
—Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Llewellyn’s starting point for the makeup design was initial illustrations by Phillips and Reed’s color choices in order to do something with the makeup that drew more focus to Yeoh’s imperious performance, but always in complementary colors.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperious
Adjective
-
Since taking office just a few weeks ago, President Trump has rapidly depleted the reservoir of America’s soft power with an authoritarian bent and astonishing speed.—
Penny Abeywardena,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Other writers and artists have also begun to mine this era for clues to China’s current authoritarian malaise.—
Ian Johnson,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Ava Daniels is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
And the villains, of course, exuding every nastily relatable emotion; the stepmothers and sorceresses are vain, arrogant, dismissive, lonely, rude, and outrageous.—
Darren Franich,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Too many leaders seek to lead down by being authoritative, by pushing dictates on people and relentlessly driving forward toward arbitrary goals and deadlines.—
Andrew Deutscher,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The responses, submitted by a fairly arbitrary group of women, range from profound to half-hearted.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
With congestion on the rise, the decline in per capita transit use suggests that fewer people currently rely on transit than pre-pandemic, which underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to attract riders.—
Ankit Mishra,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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The Seahawks have an urgent need along the interior offensive line, and Schneider has spent most of the offseason acknowledging that issue — and explaining his reasoning for the lack of big-time moves.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Carrie is described as a reimagining of the story of misfit high-schooler Carrie White, who has spent her life in seclusion with her domineering mother.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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Perhaps most frustrating to Mainers: the domineering influence of Boston in the state’s government.—
Made by History,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In some instances, yes, according to one study which looked at the recommendations from a chatbot compared to those of doctors assessing acute respiratory, urinary, vaginal, eye or dental symptoms.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Most studies list nausea and vomiting as symptoms, while others cite acute abdominal pain as well.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Leadership is often associated with grand speeches, authoritative presence and a commanding voice.—
Mohammad Bahareth,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
There are lots of ways to be an authoritative parent, which can leave moms and dads (but mostly moms) feeling rudderless.—
Gail Cornwall,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Very Territorial Caterpillar Mr. Trump’s autocratic tendencies and disregard for constitutional norms are well documented.—
Peter Baker,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
-
The Democrats lost an election to someone with autocratic tendencies who has expressed endless racist, bigoted, and misogynistic beliefs.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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