imperious
Americanadjective
-
domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing: an imperious person.
an imperious manner;
an imperious person.
- Synonyms:
- arrogant, despotic, tyrannical
- Antonyms:
- submissive
-
imperious need.
- Synonyms:
- necessary
- Antonyms:
- unnecessary
adjective
-
domineering; arrogant; overbearing
-
rare urgent; imperative
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of imperious
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin imperiōsus “commanding, tyrannical,” equivalent to imperi(um) imperium + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
Someone who is imperious gives orders in a way that shows they feel superior or more important than other people. You might want the smartest kid in the class as your lab partner, but not if they have an imperious attitude and boss you around. Near synonyms are arrogant, overbearing, and domineering. The adjective imperious is from Latin imperiōsus, from imperium "command, supreme power, empire." This Latin word is also the ultimate source of English empire, "a group of countries or territories controlled by a single ruler or one government."
Vocabulary lists containing imperious
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Things Fall Apart
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Grade 10, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Curry recurs in Téa Leoni’s excellent sitcom as Sir Rudolph Halley, the imperious, amoral owner of the tabloid paper where Nora, Leoni’s character, works as a photographer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
The race started in front of a record crowd of 175,000 fans with the expectation that Antonelli, imperious through the weekend, would cruise to a comfortable victory from pole position.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Van Dijk had captained Liverpool to the title in imperious fashion, cementing his status among the Premier League's finest defenders.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
The movie becomes increasingly surreal as Corvette, the Velvet Gang leader played by Keke Palmer, works to clean out the neon stores of an imperious designer played by Demi Moore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
“Strange the dreamer,” said Skathis, extending one imperious hand.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
