- present participle of domineer.
domineering
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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.
Big George’s run tends to be confused with prolonged success—it’s important to remember the last time the Yankees had a 17-year gap was from 1979 until 1996, Steinbrenner’s domineering, paws-on prime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Born in 1929 to a wealthy and conservative family -- by her account with a domineering mother and philandering father -- Kusama began producing her unique signature art aged 10.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Laurie Metcalf plays Linda, the siblings’ domineering mother.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
In fact he is the opposite — a domineering strongman who seeks to bully everyone around him into compliance.
From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2026
Shin remembers him being just as cold, distant, and domineering as the others.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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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.
