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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

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word imperious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of imperious are domineering, imperative, masterful, and peremptory. While all these words mean "tending to impose one's will on others," imperious implies a commanding nature or manner and often suggests arrogant assurance.

an imperious executive used to getting his own way

When would domineering be a good substitute for imperious?

The synonyms domineering and imperious are sometimes interchangeable, but domineering suggests an overbearing or arbitrary manner and an obstinate determination to enforce one's will.

children controlled by domineering parents

When could imperative be used to replace imperious?

While the synonyms imperative and imperious are close in meaning, imperative implies peremptoriness arising more from the urgency of the situation than from an inherent will to dominate.

an imperative appeal for assistance

In what contexts can masterful take the place of imperious?

The words masterful and imperious can be used in similar contexts, but masterful implies a strong personality and ability to act authoritatively.

her masterful personality soon dominated the movement

When is it sensible to use peremptory instead of imperious?

The words peremptory and imperious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, peremptory implies an abrupt dictatorial manner coupled with an unwillingness to brook disobedience or dissent.

given a peremptory dismissal

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of imperious Wilson, a former university president with an imperious air, returned from Europe a hero. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025 Just four days after the satisfaction of chalking up back-to-back away wins in the league for the first time all season, Wrexham’s one-time imperious home form took another dent as a third game at the STōK Cae Ras passed without maximum points being claimed. Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025 Slot’s team drew at Nottingham Forest and, on the weekend, 90 goalless minutes had passed at Brentford with a feeling that the imperious phase was finally at an end. Darren Richman, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025 Brentford finding a formula to net in the first minute of three consecutive games; Arsenal, long associated with artful offensive patterns, becoming imperious from corner kicks; Forest’s robust Chris Wood emerging as a bountiful goalscorer at the age of 33. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for imperious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperious
Adjective
  • His parents were Italian immigrants who fled Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime, and his grandmother Rosa Margherita Vassallo di Bergoglio was active in Catholic Action, formed by Italian bishops who wanted to maintain their independence from Mussolini’s authoritarian rule.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been called an authoritarian, and previous reports have noted restrictions to civil liberties.
    Graham Smith, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • That doesn’t portray a hero, but rather someone so arrogant as to invent his own law and appoint himself its executioner.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Fed Up in Illinois Dear Fed Up: Is Edie mean, arrogant, disobedient and rude in the presence of her parents, or has she been invited to spend time with your girls separately?
    Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The plaintiffs had argued that the geographic targeting order was unlawfully issued without undergoing the notice-and-comment procedures prescribed by federal law and that the rule is arbitrary and capricious under federal law.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
  • In short, protectionism grants states too much arbitrary power to intervene in the market and thus spawns more platforms for the exchange of political favors.
    JAVIER CORRALES, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This highlights the urgent need for tailored marketing support.
    Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The net result is a flurry of headlines and viral social media posts followed by an urgent platform update.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • As mild-mannered schoolteacher Mr. Lisbon, James Woods plays a quiet counterpoint to his domineering wife.
    Sezin Devi Koehler, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Among them towers the frighteningly domineering Honoria Glossop.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The agency recalled that between 2022 and 2024, around 60% of annual admissions for severe acute malnutrition occurred during the rainy season, meaning that up to 462,000 children could be affected this year if the trend holds.
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The acute need for companies with this level of in-depth warmth and empathy for their clients drives ITS to expand its horizon.
    William Mullane, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In this authoritative, elegant biography, Daut meticulously combs the torrents of contemporary letters and broadsheets to draw a complex, contradictory portrait of Christophe, also known as King Henry.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The distant therapist Not too long ago, therapists acted like black boxes and authoritative gods.
    David E. Tolchinsky, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Critics, including autocratic governments across the region, view it as a threat.
    Omar Akour, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • This new, more favorable vision of Russia was developing its own intellectual architecture, one that married isolationism, nationalism and traditionalism with a growing appreciation for autocratic strongmen who were bending their countries to their will.
    Eric Jason Martin Tanya Pérez Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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