commanding

adjective

com·​mand·​ing kə-ˈman-diŋ 

1

: drawing attention or priority

a commanding presence

2

: difficult to overcome

a commanding lead

commandingly

kə-ˈman-diŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• presiding
• chief
• leading
• supreme
• lead
• top
• foremost
• primary
• high
• senior
• first
• principal

Examples of commanding in a Sentence

He has a very commanding voice.

She holds a commanding lead in the polls.

Our team was in a commanding position as the game neared its end.

The castle is in a commanding position at the top of the hill.

The hill provides a commanding view of the surrounding countryside.

Recent Examples on the Web

Meghan is more commanding and confident this time around—her preppy-chic wardrobe and carefully curated soundtrack add polish, while the guest lineup gives the show depth and warmth. —Sophia A. Nelson, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

The New York Yankees once had a commanding lead in the American League East. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025

Garcia has tremendous reflexes and is a commanding presence in the box. —Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025

By inning’s end, the San Diego Padres had knocked starter Kai-Wei Teng out of the game and had a commanding seven-run lead. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing commanding

• commanding officer
• commanding presence

Rhymes for commanding

• demanding
• disbanding
• expanding
• freestanding
• misbranding
• outstanding
• remanding
• upstanding
• withstanding
• banding
• branding
• handing