1
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
an imperious little boy who liked to tell the other scouts what to do
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
an imperious movie star who thinks she's some sort of goddess
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arbitrary
having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity
an office administrator with an imperious manner that really grates on people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
as war casualties mounted, the need for trained nurses became imperious
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imperious
Anthony Elanga impressed on debut and Sandro Tonali’s imperious dominance created a foundation for a strong result.
—
Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
There are the clever visual gags allowed by animation, like characters who quite literally shoot daggers at one another while locked in a glaring match; there are many jokes at the imperious, overconfident Marioneta’s expense.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
But before two of the most imperious forces in mixed martial arts duke it out for the title at the United Center, an intriguing four-fight preliminary bill deserves its share of attention.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
The 6-foot-3 receiver has looked imperious during one-on-one action and team drills, running fluid routes and using his size to win contested catches.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
There are the clever visual gags allowed by animation, like characters who quite literally shoot daggers at one another while locked in a glaring match; there are many jokes at the imperious, overconfident Marioneta’s expense.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025
But before two of the most imperious forces in mixed martial arts duke it out for the title at the United Center, an intriguing four-fight preliminary bill deserves its share of attention.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
The 6-foot-3 receiver has looked imperious during one-on-one action and team drills, running fluid routes and using his size to win contested catches.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperious
Adjective
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Now, the same institutions once intimidated by authoritarian power have declared that a former commander-in-chief conspired to revoke the 2022 election, assassinate rivals, and eventually unleash street chaos to hold on to power.—
Julia Vargas Jones,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Ray's father was a dissenter who was executed by the Major himself for his outspoken anti-authoritarian views, and Ray wants revenge.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Zane played the arrogant Cal Hockley, who was engaged to Jack's love interest, Rose (played by Kate Winslet).—
Virginia Chamlee,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Hardly seems like enough to cow these arrogant companies into behaving, especially when their business model is so intrinsically tied to hoovering up other people’s information and creative work.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And part of that structure is ensuring that the IRS consistently enforces the code without imposing arbitrary changes on certain taxpayers.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Both sides have also carried out arbitrary detentions, with SAF interrogating and beating dozens of Christians in 2024 and 2025.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Poland has said that Russian drones attempted to violate its airspace again, only days after another encroachment prompted Warsaw to call on NATO to hold urgent security talks.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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The need that fluoridated water was meant to address, critics say, isn’t as urgent.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Managers often grow more assertive (sometimes drifting into domineering).—
Dave Winsborough,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Also in the cast: Emmy winner Laurie Metcalfe, as Augusta Gein, the murderer's religious, domineering mother; Tom Hollander as director Alfred Hitchcock; Olivia Williams as the filmmaker's wife, Alma Reville Hitchcock; and Lesley Manville, as Gein's second murder victim, Bernice Worden.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In women, nerve issues or a cystocele (a type of pelvic organ prolapse, or dropped bladder) can alter flow, but acute urinary retention is much less common, affecting only about 3 in 100,000 women each year.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
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Kazakhstan’s president recognizes the acute competition for investors’ dollars.—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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These risks multiply when multiple agents collaborate, each trusting outputs from others as authoritative inputs.—
Steve Durbin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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In June, more than 20 authoritative organizations, including the National Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, expressed serious concerns for the health impacts of overhauling the advisory committee.—
Jordan Miller,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On the other side of Nepal from autocratic China, India is a test case for how democracies are employing increasingly sophisticated tactics to control online narratives.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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In competitive authoritarian regimes, however, there’s a constant push and pull between democratic and autocratic impulses.—
Karrin Vasby Anderson,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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