overbearing
Americanadjective
-
domineering; dictatorial; haughtily or rudely arrogant.
-
of overwhelming or critical importance.
adjective
-
domineering or dictatorial in manner or action
-
of particular or overriding importance or significance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of overbearing
Explanation
Overbearing means domineering. You might find it difficult to play the piano as your overbearing instructor criticizes every key you touch. The adjective overbearing typically describes a person who is haughty and dictatorial. Someone considered to be overbearing or arrogant wouldn't be described as kind or modest, which are antonyms of overbearing. Overbearing also means “repressing or overwhelming.” Thomas Jefferson uses this definition in his decree, “If the freedom of religion, guaranteed to us by law in theory, can ever rise in practice under the overbearing inquisition of public opinion, then and only then will truth, prevail over fanaticism.”
Vocabulary lists containing overbearing
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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!
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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!
The Federalist Papers, No. 10 by James Madison
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.
Some members of communities where they most often hover have come to consider them an unwelcome intrusion and a reminder of the LAPD’s overbearing presence.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
Before Rowan knows it, Mag has moved in and made herself comfortable, but already seems a bit overbearing, organizing girls’ nights and declaring herself “Mag the hag.”
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
Compared to the overbearing shelter system, which broke up friends, mandated sobriety, lacked privacy, prohibited pets, and offered insufficient storage, Gil wanted to have a light touch.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
Last year we eliminated overbearing patient-monitoring rules for certain CAR-T therapies that were a barrier for drug developers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
And there was an overbearing silence that hung over everything, a massive hole that no one wanted to acknowledge.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
