overbearing

adjective

over·​bear·​ing ˌō-vər-ˈber-iŋ 

1

a

: tending to overwhelm : overpowering

They [teachers] say they're frequently harassed by overbearing parents, who call them all hours of the day and weekends …

—Jean Mackenzie

b

: decisively important : dominant

… didn't think it was the overbearing consideration here.

—J. S. Cooper

2

: harshly and haughtily arrogant

the mayor's overbearing manner of dealing with employees

overbearingly

ˌō-vər-ˈber-iŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of overbearing

• dominant
• main
• greatest
• predominant
• highest
• primary
• foremost
• big
• leading
• first
• supreme
• central
• principal

Choose the Right Synonym for overbearing

proud, arrogant, haughty, lordly, insolent, overbearing, supercilious, disdainful mean showing scorn for inferiors.

proud may suggest an assumed superiority or loftiness.

too proud to take charity

arrogant implies a claiming for oneself of more consideration or importance than is warranted.

a conceited and arrogant executive

haughty suggests a consciousness of superior birth or position.

a haughty aristocrat

lordly implies pomposity or an arrogant display of power.

a lordly condescension

insolent implies contemptuous haughtiness.

ignored by an insolent waiter

overbearing suggests a tyrannical manner or an intolerable insolence.

an overbearing supervisor

supercilious implies a cool, patronizing haughtiness.

an aloof and supercilious manner

disdainful suggests a more active and openly scornful superciliousness.

disdainful of their social inferiors

Examples of overbearing in a Sentence

He had to deal with his overbearing mother.

Her husband's overbearing manner made her miserable.

Recent Examples on the Web

That overbearing nature causes many members to leave the group, often moving towards more extreme, neo-Nazi spaces. —Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025

With a mocking appreciation for her overbearing family and caustic wit for her younger self, Yajia warmly works from the thesis that kids are extraordinarily weird, scary, and kind-of-dumb creatures who really don’t know any better. —Brian Boone, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025

Edgerton captures the essence of sorrow like lightning bugs in a jar; his sadness isn’t a dark, overbearing thing, but a source of gentle, mournful light. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 Dec. 2025

In the backdrop, Hayat is struggling to break free of her overbearing aunts. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for overbearing

• airing
• bearing
• blaring
• caring
• chairing
• charing
• daring
• erring
• fairing
• flaring
• glaring
• haring

Kids Definition

overbearing

adjective

over·​bear·​ing

-ˈba(ə)r-iŋ, 

-ˈbe(ə)r-

: arrogant, domineering

overbearingly adverb