1
as in authoritarian
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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4
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
as war casualties mounted, the need for trained nurses became imperious
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of imperious
Wilson, a former university president with an imperious air, returned from Europe a hero.
—
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
Just four days after the satisfaction of chalking up back-to-back away wins in the league for the first time all season, Wrexham’s one-time imperious home form took another dent as a third game at the STōK Cae Ras passed without maximum points being claimed.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Slot’s team drew at Nottingham Forest and, on the weekend, 90 goalless minutes had passed at Brentford with a feeling that the imperious phase was finally at an end.
—Darren Richman, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Brentford finding a formula to net in the first minute of three consecutive games; Arsenal, long associated with artful offensive patterns, becoming imperious from corner kicks; Forest’s robust Chris Wood emerging as a bountiful goalscorer at the age of 33.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2025
Just four days after the satisfaction of chalking up back-to-back away wins in the league for the first time all season, Wrexham’s one-time imperious home form took another dent as a third game at the STōK Cae Ras passed without maximum points being claimed.
—Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Slot’s team drew at Nottingham Forest and, on the weekend, 90 goalless minutes had passed at Brentford with a feeling that the imperious phase was finally at an end.
—Darren Richman, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Brentford finding a formula to net in the first minute of three consecutive games; Arsenal, long associated with artful offensive patterns, becoming imperious from corner kicks; Forest’s robust Chris Wood emerging as a bountiful goalscorer at the age of 33.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperious
Adjective
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His parents were Italian immigrants who fled Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime, and his grandmother Rosa Margherita Vassallo di Bergoglio was active in Catholic Action, formed by Italian bishops who wanted to maintain their independence from Mussolini’s authoritarian rule.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been called an authoritarian, and previous reports have noted restrictions to civil liberties.—
Graham Smith,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Ava Daniels is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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And the villains, of course, exuding every nastily relatable emotion; the stepmothers and sorceresses are vain, arrogant, dismissive, lonely, rude, and outrageous.—
Darren Franich,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Too many leaders seek to lead down by being authoritative, by pushing dictates on people and relentlessly driving forward toward arbitrary goals and deadlines.—
Andrew Deutscher,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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The responses, submitted by a fairly arbitrary group of women, range from profound to half-hearted.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This highlights the urgent need for tailored marketing support.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The net result is a flurry of headlines and viral social media posts followed by an urgent platform update.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Carrie is described as a reimagining of the story of misfit high-schooler Carrie White, who has spent her life in seclusion with her domineering mother.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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Perhaps most frustrating to Mainers: the domineering influence of Boston in the state’s government.—
Made by History,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The agency recalled that between 2022 and 2024, around 60% of annual admissions for severe acute malnutrition occurred during the rainy season, meaning that up to 462,000 children could be affected this year if the trend holds.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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The acute need for companies with this level of in-depth warmth and empathy for their clients drives ITS to expand its horizon.—
William Mullane,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Leadership is often associated with grand speeches, authoritative presence and a commanding voice.—
Mohammad Bahareth,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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There are lots of ways to be an authoritative parent, which can leave moms and dads (but mostly moms) feeling rudderless.—
Gail Cornwall,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Very Territorial Caterpillar Mr. Trump’s autocratic tendencies and disregard for constitutional norms are well documented.—
Peter Baker,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
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The Democrats lost an election to someone with autocratic tendencies who has expressed endless racist, bigoted, and misogynistic beliefs.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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