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

With Duck out, the team will likely look to Kendall Sheffield to take a more commanding role in the secondary. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

There were some attitude issues in the Patriots’ wide receiver room last season without a commanding veteran leader. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025

Instead, Reeves became Estragon, the more simplistic and long-suffering of the duo, while Winter tackled Vladimir, the more commanding and verbose character. —Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025

Since the late 90s, Jungen has forged a name for himself internationally through his commanding sculptural practice. —News Desk, Artforum, 29 Sep. 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