1
as in domineering
fond of ordering people around
an imperious little boy who liked to tell the other scouts what to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The imperious billionaires were.
—
Michael Silver, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Bundelkhand is represented by Maans ke Dahi Bade, a lamb-and-lentil recipe improvised by Maharaja Digvijaya Singh of Sailana, while Panna finds its spot through the imperious-sounding Aash-e-Sangsheer.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Thus André Breton—the imperious leader of the French Surrealist group with which Alberto Giacometti had made common cause in the late 1920s—chided the artist for his return to sculpting human likenesses after 1935.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
As Rose’s impoverished yet imperious mother Ruth, Parson’s dry deliveries offer great comic ballast to this ship of fools.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Michael Silver, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Bundelkhand is represented by Maans ke Dahi Bade, a lamb-and-lentil recipe improvised by Maharaja Digvijaya Singh of Sailana, while Panna finds its spot through the imperious-sounding Aash-e-Sangsheer.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Thus André Breton—the imperious leader of the French Surrealist group with which Alberto Giacometti had made common cause in the late 1920s—chided the artist for his return to sculpting human likenesses after 1935.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
As Rose’s impoverished yet imperious mother Ruth, Parson’s dry deliveries offer great comic ballast to this ship of fools.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperious
Adjective
-
Musk’s company has inked lucrative AI deals with Anthropic and Google and plans to be the domineering firm behind orbital data centers, which SpaceX has said could be deployed as early as 2028.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
Many figures within evangelicalism have promoted an aggressive, domineering, even abusive view of manhood—affixing to it, as Du Mez argues, the label biblical.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The two roles underline the actor’s formidable versatility, all skittish panic in the former and arrogant sociopathy in the other.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 June 2026
-
Washington State’s beauty is almost arrogant in its expansiveness.—
C Pam Zhang,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The anniversary feels arbitrary to Tran, a math teacher.—
Terry Tang,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
And not simply the tariff policies, but the arbitrary on and off nature of them.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The 29-year-old forward applied for an urgent visa at the United States embassy in Bern on June 3, one day after he was denied boarding the team’s flight to travel for his third World Cup because of a 2018 criminal conviction that was only finalized in April.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
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What This Means for People Using GLP-1 Drugs With GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro now used by millions, questions about what happens when people stop taking them and regain weight have become urgent.—
Allison Palmer
Updated June 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The death of Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei stunned Iranians, many of whom had never known anything but his authoritarian leadership.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Our research suggests that activists seeking to protect American democracy from authoritarian influences are pursuing a failing strategy.—
Scott Warren,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Emilia had cancer — B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.—
Kate Bilo,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
As her life is starting, her mother suffers from an acute schizophrenic episode.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
That means authoritative profiles, press features in credible outlets, optimized social channels, Wikipedia presence where warranted, video, and review acquisition on the platforms that actually matter for the client's industry.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
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First filmed before the pandemic and launched in its throes, a survivor of the era of streaming wars, corporate consolidation and Hollywood strikes, HBO’s addictively dissolute workplace drama remains as ambitious and authoritative as ever.—
Matt Brennan,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Indeed, the King would later establish the Instrument of Foundation of the Royal Academy as a more autocratic counterpart.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
But there simply aren’t that many people who want an autocratic America.—
Matthew E.K. Hall,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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