Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for domineering. Search instead for domineeringly.
Synonyms

domineering

American  
[dom-uh-neer-ing] / ˌdɒm əˈnɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. inclined to rule arbitrarily or despotically; overbearing; tyrannical.

    domineering parents.
    Synonyms:
    oppressive, despotic, arrogant
domineering British  
/ ˌdɒmɪˈnɪərɪŋ /

adjective

  1. acting with or showing arrogance or tyranny; imperious

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • domineeringly adverb
  • domineeringness noun
  • nondomineering adjective
  • superdomineering adjective
  • undomineering adjective

Etymology

Origin of domineering

First recorded in 1580–90; domineer + -ing 2

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.

In fact he is the opposite — a domineering strongman who seeks to bully everyone around him into compliance.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 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

Highlights include a pair of shoes worn by the domineering Miss Piggy in a "Muppets" movie, as well as puppets from "Fraggle Rock" and characters from the Netflix series "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance."

From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025

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

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.