towering

adjective

tow·​er·​ing ˈtau̇(-ə)r-iŋ How to pronounce towering (audio)
1
: impressively high or great : imposing
towering pines
2
: reaching a high point of intensity : overwhelming
a towering rage
3
: going beyond proper bounds : excessive
towering ambitions
toweringly adverb

Examples of towering in a Sentence

He flew into a towering rage. the towering mountain peaks of the Rockies
Recent Examples on the Web In past years, Quiroz has made towering displays with seven distinct levels. Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023 Here, two black feather wreaths (available at many craft stores), accented with long lengths of shimmery silver ribbon, dress up the towering front doors. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Oct. 2022 The News led with a juicy morsel of society gossip: the Prince of Wales, shown atop his steed in a towering front-page photograph, was expected to visit the Goelets and Vanderbilts at their Rhode Island summer mansions. Time, 16 Sep. 2022 Father Denis, who entered the Cistercian order in his native Hungary in 1955 and was ordained in Austria in 1961, was known for his towering intellect and deep spirituality. Mike Wilson, Dallas News, 21 May 2020 New York City has reportedly offered incarcerated workers jobs earning $6 per hour, a towering sum by prison standards. Emma Grey Ellis, Wired, 19 May 2020 Digging into a towering stack of pancakes at Casa Sedona Inn is the perfect way to load up on carbs before traversing the red-rock buttes on foot. Macy Sirmans, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2020 The poet was a hero, a seer, a towering figure (Yeats above all), whose themes were history, epic and elegy. The Economist, 14 May 2020 For an introverted too-small-for-sports kid from a broken family to become the gigantic towering artistry of Prince. Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 13 May 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'towering.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of towering was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near towering

Cite this Entry

“Towering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/towering. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

towering

adjective
tow·​er·​ing
1
: rising high : tall
towering mountain peaks
towering skyscrapers
2
: reaching a high point of strength or force
a towering rage
3
: going beyond proper bounds
towering ambitions

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