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.
This would involve imposing sanctions on not just Iran but any entity doing business with it.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Carney, who last year rolled back most of the retaliatory tariffs levied by his predecessor, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said he was imposing the levies “reluctantly,” acknowledging that they will raise costs for Canadians.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
This would go beyond the current practice of imposing "exclusion zones" which ban offenders from specific locations such as a victim's home or place of work.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
The 75-year-old leader made the announcement while speaking from the ramparts of New Delhi's imposing 17th-century Red Fort to mark the country's independence from Britain on August 15, 1947.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Behind her loomed a man shorter than she, but as imposing.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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.
