- present participle of impose.
imposing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of imposing
Explanation
Imposing is an adjective reserved for those things that are impressive in the sense that they are large or serious, as in the US Capitol Building or even, say, a professional wrestler. When you look at the word imposing you see the word pose, which is useful in remembering what it means. A person who is imposing might strike a pose because they feel they have a lot to show. In fact, imposing is derived from the French verb imposer, which means "to inflict." Its French roots may inspire you to envision the enormous and expensive wigs worn by members of the French court. The larger the wig, the more imposing it was. And all the more reason to strike a pose!
Vocabulary lists containing imposing
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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An "August" Assortment: Words Worthy of Honor
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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.
But that was us imposing our desired arc, which we all know doesn’t work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
A woman has criticised Anglian Water for imposing a hosepipe ban while not fixing a water leak that she had reported "weeks ago".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
And what if the worst happened, and the U.S. government actually ended up imposing any official “haircut” on Treasury bonds, paying out less than 100 cents on the dollar even in nominal terms?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Now, Europe’s land borders are nearly all barricaded in imposing fences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The present King of France has waged many wars without imposing extraordinary taxes on his subjects, only because his habitual parsimony has provided for the additional expenditures.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
