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.
Plummer’s Getty is imperious and withholding, refusing to pay the ransom for his kidnapped grandson and seemingly puzzled that anyone would expect him to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
But after an imperious performance across the week at a raucous Tollcross, they will never be as low again.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
The 31-year-old was in imperious form, averaging 107 and 111, before another 100-plus average in the final.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
He ran afoul of some in the orchestra and of its imperious head, Ernest Fleischmann.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
Carelessly she laid her hand upon the desk to show off the emerald ring, and she spoke in the most imperious tone she could manage.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
