imperious

adjective

im·​pe·​ri·​ous im-ˈpir-ē-əs 

1

a

: marked by arrogant assurance : domineering

… a kind of arrogant potentate too imperious to acknowledge weaknesses common to ordinary men.

—Robert Dalleck

b

: befitting or characteristic of one of eminent rank or attainments : commanding, dominant

an imperious manner

2

: intensely compelling : urgent

… the imperious problems of the new age.

—John F. Kennedy

imperiously adverb

imperiousness noun

Synonyms of imperious

• domineering
• authoritarian
• arrogant
• authoritative
• autocratic
• despotic
• tyrannical
• aggressive

Choose the Right Synonym for imperious

masterful, domineering, imperious, peremptory, imperative mean tending to impose one's will on others.

masterful implies a strong personality and ability to act authoritatively.

her masterful personality soon dominated the movement

domineering suggests an overbearing or arbitrary manner and an obstinate determination to enforce one's will.

children controlled by domineering parents

imperious implies a commanding nature or manner and often suggests arrogant assurance.

an imperious executive used to getting his own way

peremptory implies an abrupt dictatorial manner coupled with an unwillingness to brook disobedience or dissent.

given a peremptory dismissal

imperative implies peremptoriness arising more from the urgency of the situation than from an inherent will to dominate.

an imperative appeal for assistance

Examples of imperious in a Sentence

an imperious little boy who liked to tell the other scouts what to do

an imperious movie star who thinks she's some sort of goddess

Recent Examples on the Web

Left behind at their foreboding campus over winter break, Boynton and Shipka's characters are at the mercy of the school's imperious nuns and old secrets. —Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025

Noone’s responses could be imperious and inconsistent, signalling readiness to help Steve’s investigation one moment and resistance the next. —Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

Julian dispatches Ares and his deputy, Athena (an imperious Jodie Turner-Smith), to the physical world, ordering them to shake down Eve for information about Flynn’s code. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025

The penalty was lashed and ludicrous, the timing important with Newcastle leading 1-0 but hardly imperious. —George Caulkin, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin imperiōsus "exercising authority, domineering," from imperium "authority over family members and slaves exercised by the head of a household, supreme administrative authority, dominion" + -ōsus -ous — more at empire

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for imperious

• delirious
• mysterious
• cereus
• nereus
• serious
• sirius
• deleterious

Kids Definition

imperious

adjective

im·​pe·​ri·​ous im-ˈpir-ē-əs 

1

: behaving like someone who is a supreme ruler

2

: imperative entry 1 sense 2, urgent

the imperious problems of a new age

imperiously adverb

imperiousness noun