Imperious

//ɪmˈpɪə̯.ɹi.əs// adj

adj ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Domineering, arrogant, or overbearing. not-comparable

    "The frowning lookes of fiery Tamburlaine, That with his terrour and imperious eies, Commands the hearts of his aſſociates, […]"

  2. 2
    Urgent; intensely compelling. not-comparable

    "Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army which had fought the disastrous campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth."

  3. 3
    Imperial or regal. not-comparable, obsolete

    "All the terrors of Antichrist; his cruel ediets and anathemas that were thundered from his imperious throne, like storms of fire and brimstone […]"

Adjective
  1. 1
    having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
authoritarianabsoluteabsolutistabsolutisticacuteaggressive

Example

More examples

"Imperious Prima flashes forth / Her edict "to begin it"— / In gentler tone Secunda hopes / "There will be nonsense in it!"— / While Tertia interrupts the tale / Not more than once a minute."

Etymology

From Latin imperiōsus (“mighty, powerful”), from imperium (“command, authority, power”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.