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

Andersen, who previously worked for the San Antonio Police Department, has ruddy cheeks and a commanding presence. —Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025

Irvine ran the ball, passed the ball and slowed down Laguna Hills’ uptempo offense with a commanding defensive display. —Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025

Capturing his commanding presence was incredibly fun. —Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025

With all 20 precincts reporting, unofficial results show Mayo with a commanding lead over Brown by a margin of 49.5% to 25.1%. —Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 10 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