imperiously
Americanadverb
-
in a domineering or haughty manner.
She held out her hand imperiously, but the messenger did not immediately hand over the letter.
-
in an imperative way; urgently.
The need to be accepted can be felt as imperiously as the needs for food, clothing, and shelter.
Other Word Forms
- nonimperiously adverb
- unimperiously adverb
Etymology
Origin of imperiously
Explanation
Use the adverb imperiously to describe a manner that is domineering and authoritative. Shouting, "Sit! Stay!" imperiously might work well on the dog, but it won't necessarily work on your friends. Imperiously comes from the Latin word imperare, which means "to command." Other words from this same root include empire, emperor, imperial, and imperative. Like imperiously, all of these words retain some sense of command in their definitions. When you were three, you might have imperiously announced to your toys that they must come to life immediately, or you would banish them to the dark wasteland known as the closet.
Vocabulary lists containing imperiously
Of Mice and Men
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Great Expectations
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
As the car came to a standstill at a junction, I spotted one of the giant black birds that seemed to have followed me around Panama, perched imperiously on the side of the road.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
"The last vestiges of working-class politics were imperiously wiped out," wrote Christophe Jaffrelot and Pratinav Anil in their book on the period they call "India's first dictatorship".
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2025
Appearing briefly before a court in Mombasa this month, Mr. Mackenzie, 50, wearing a pink jacket, cut a jaunty figure as he waved imperiously from inside a metal cage to get the magistrate’s attention.
From New York Times • May 14, 2023
Ralph’s photo of a fox squirrel peering imperiously down from a tree is the winner of my 2023 Squirrel Week Squirrel Photography Contest.
From Washington Post • Apr. 12, 2023
Then a bell rang, and from the ceiling of the lift: a loud speaker began, very softly and yet very imperiously, to issue its commands.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
