domineering
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of domineering
Explanation
Domineering describes a person who is arrogant and bossy, like a military dictator or a supervisor who micromanages everyone at work. People who are strong-willed and overbearing can be described as domineering, like customers in a restaurant who demand things with snappy fingers. Parents who say sternly to their kids, "Because I say so, that's why," are speaking in a domineering way. The word domineering comes from the Latin root dominari, "to rule or 'lord' it over."
Vocabulary lists containing domineering
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 7
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The Color of Water
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Stamped
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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.
The domineering Sarastro, an all-powerful priest, bellows spiritual profundities.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
"He was just so domineering and you just couldn't talk back to him," she added.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
Helen, the oldest sibling, is a domineering homemaker who has appointed herself keeper of the family recipes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
In a profile of Shapiro for The Atlantic, Alberta said the governor “moved between outrage and exasperation” as Alberta shared Harris’ characterizations of Shapiro as overconfident and domineering.
From Salon • Dec. 3, 2025
It is as domineering as the eye of the captain.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions 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.
