1
as in domineering
fond of ordering people around
an imperious little boy who liked to tell the other scouts what to do
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
an imperious movie star who thinks she's some sort of goddess
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arbitrary
having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity
an office administrator with an imperious manner that really grates on people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
as war casualties mounted, the need for trained nurses became imperious
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imperious
To the clonk of heels striking the floor, a pair of imperious silhouettes converge upon the same elevator.
—
Chop Choppish Shop, Air Mail, 11 Apr. 2026
One is by Clare Harner and the other is by Henry Scott Holland, and both approach death with tenderness, but also with a commanding tone fitting the imperious Ann.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Guided by the imperious voiceover of family matriarch Ann (Francis Annis), Soames chases after the lovely Irene (Millie Gibson), who scandalously dances ballet and wants to go to Paris.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
But satisfaction isn’t in the cards for this general’s daughter, famed for her beauty and imperious style.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Chop Choppish Shop, Air Mail, 11 Apr. 2026
One is by Clare Harner and the other is by Henry Scott Holland, and both approach death with tenderness, but also with a commanding tone fitting the imperious Ann.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Guided by the imperious voiceover of family matriarch Ann (Francis Annis), Soames chases after the lovely Irene (Millie Gibson), who scandalously dances ballet and wants to go to Paris.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
But satisfaction isn’t in the cards for this general’s daughter, famed for her beauty and imperious style.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperious
Adjective
-
The new biopic of Jackson from director Antoine Fuqua and the Jackson estate paints the gloved one as the one true victim — a harmless Peter Pan figure whose own childhood was snatched away by a domineering father.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Joseph has a cruel and domineering air about him.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The series has devolved into a hysteria that the young and arrogant Timberwolves feed on since that first quarter of Game 2.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
-
However, many thought Tilson Thomas too brash and arrogant to lead an orchestra, and, around the same time, Tilson Thomas fell in with New York’s disco-hopping crowd.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The fundamental processes governing brain health — genetics, neural and synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation — do not respect the arbitrary boundaries drawn between neurology and psychiatry.—
Eric J. Nestler,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
-
White-Jacket did cause a stir with its discussion of the arbitrary and cruel use of flogging in the US Navy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This intent aligned with the nation’s urgent emphasis on education as a defense against mob rule.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Yet instead of addressing those urgent challenges, state leaders have chosen to spend time and taxpayer dollars engineering political advantage.—
Jon Harris Maurer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
As urbanist scholar Federico Cugurullo and geography researchers Isobel Lee and Rebecca Weir found when speaking with people involved in The Line between 2022 and 2024, the project represented a strange mixture of western science fiction aesthetics and authoritarian ambitions.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
1 May 2026
-
But under the authoritarian military regime that comes to power after a coup, being a musician is dangerous, and the Aguirres’ band, Río Babel, becomes an accidental voice of rebellion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
After the primary autopsy, the coroner concluded Jackson's death was from acute Propofol intoxication, which caused the singer to go into cardiac arrest, NPR reported.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Almost half are personally afraid of losing their job to AI, ranking it among the most acute individual stressors measured in the survey.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Every Tuesday, this new newsletter will deliver clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
-
Denver landed an authoritative punch in the second and third quarters of Game 1 to open this playoff series against the Timberwolves.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rácz has been interpreted as a foil to Vladimír Mečiar, a real-life politician who served as Slovakia’s prime minister between 1990 and 1998 and was heavily criticized for his autocratic tendencies, strongman persona, and ties to organized crime.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The company fears that in an effort to crack down on espionage, the Defense Department might create monitoring capabilities that supersede even the Chinese Communist Party’s, sliding America into an autocratic AI regime.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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