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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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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4
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
as war casualties mounted, the need for trained nurses became imperious
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imperious
As the protagonist/antihero, audiences meet everyone through his eyes (and imperious narration) — and in his view, most people are shallow and irritating, especially the residents of Madre Linda.
—
Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025
Also amusing is Fiona Glascott as Lady Violet, an old acquaintance of Sherlock’s who specializes officially in schooling young ladies like Clara to join British high society and unofficially in casting her imperious judgment everywhere.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2025
As Kimberly Shaw, a mild-mannered resident doctor of Wilshire Memorial Hospital, Cross shared plenty of scenes with Wagner, who shows up in the third season as Peter Burns, the hospital's imperious chief of staff.
—EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
And Palace, who are in imperious away form, will feel optimistic about their chances to at least progress to Wembley.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025
Also amusing is Fiona Glascott as Lady Violet, an old acquaintance of Sherlock’s who specializes officially in schooling young ladies like Clara to join British high society and unofficially in casting her imperious judgment everywhere.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2025
As Kimberly Shaw, a mild-mannered resident doctor of Wilshire Memorial Hospital, Cross shared plenty of scenes with Wagner, who shows up in the third season as Peter Burns, the hospital's imperious chief of staff.
—EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
And Palace, who are in imperious away form, will feel optimistic about their chances to at least progress to Wembley.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperious
Adjective
-
But then again, almost everything Trump does is right out of the authoritarian playbook.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 June 2025
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Any center of liberal and free thought from pop music to Ivy League universities is vulnerable to authoritarian impulses.—
Stephen Collinson,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
-
Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Businesses now live in fear of retroactive rulings, arbitrary penalties and endless audits.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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The risks include wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.—
Nick Butler,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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In his urgent nonfiction debut, the writer—who was born in Cairo, grew up in Doha, moved to Canada, and now lives in rural Oregon—wrestles with his disillusionment with the West and its institutions, particularly given the indifference he’s observed in so many as the war rages on.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 June 2025
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The appeals court said there is no urgent need for DOGE to access Social Security records in the interim.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Carrie is described as a reimagining of the story of misfit high schooler Carrie White, who has spent her life in seclusion with her domineering mother.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
2 June 2025
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Randall is a rebellious new patient at a mental institution who does battle with Louise Fletcher’s domineering head nurse Mildred Ratched.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Exposure is linked to worsening symptoms in those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but acute cardiovascular risks, including heart attacks and strokes, may be even more pronounced.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
-
Timeline Expectations: The Long Road of Grief Normal grief timeline: Most young adults begin to experience some relief from acute grief symptoms within 6-12 months, though grief waves can continue for years.—
Charell G. Coleman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
The most authoritative research on the risk to California was conducted in 2015, but little has changed in the past decade.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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In fact, their literature review suggests that many dog owners naturally fall into parenting patterns that largely mirror those of actual parents: permissive, authoritarian or authoritative.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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The United States' chaotic autocratic lurch under President Donald Trump—in particular, its abandonment of Europe and Ukraine in favor of closer ties to Russia—has compelled European countries to get a lot more serious about their own defense.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
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Panahi uses this set-up to explore the ripple effects of autocratic abuse on several characters who don’t know each other, but are connected by the same persecutor.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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