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Synonyms

imposing

American  
[im-poh-zing] / ɪmˈpoʊ zɪŋ /

adjective

  1. very impressive because of great size, stately appearance, dignity, elegance, etc..

    Notre Dame, Rheims, and other imposing cathedrals of France.
    Synonyms:
    august, grand, lofty, majestic, dignified
imposing British  
/ ɪmˈpəʊzɪŋ /

adjective

  1. grand or impressive

    an imposing building
"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

  • imposingly adverb
  • imposingness noun

Etymology

Origin of imposing

First recorded in 1645–55; impose + -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.

The answer isn’t limiting speech or imposing impossible obligations on social-media companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment,” Musk said in a memo published Monday.

From MarketWatch

Musk said those needs cannot be met on Earth "without imposing hardship on communities and the environment."

From Barron's

The UN has accused the group of imposing taxes on the mining sector for their own benefit.

From BBC

Harris-Genois said part of his job was to make the beast "even more imposing."

From Barron's

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.