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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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
England opening batter Ben Duckett has started the summer in imperious form.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The scientist, more hapless than mad, must retrieve Stitch in the name of the United Galactic Federation (Hannah Waddingham voices the imperious leader).
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
Jones portrays Rosie, Ozzie’s imperious and authoritative momager.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Or whether the foundations are strong and imperious enough to uphold the £1billion ($1.3bn) industry promise fans are being pitched?
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The scientist, more hapless than mad, must retrieve Stitch in the name of the United Galactic Federation (Hannah Waddingham voices the imperious leader).
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
Jones portrays Rosie, Ozzie’s imperious and authoritative momager.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Or whether the foundations are strong and imperious enough to uphold the £1billion ($1.3bn) industry promise fans are being pitched?
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for imperious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imperious
Adjective
-
North Korea is under sanctions from the United States — as well as the United Nations and several other countries — largely in response to the isolated authoritarian state's weapons programs.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
25 July 2025
-
While Western democracies debate environmental reviews and grid reliability, authoritarian systems can rapidly direct energy flows to computing infrastructure.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
As the day goes on, Jim goes from a caricature of an arrogant male director to an oddly compelling picture of a pathetic man, moved by spite toward his ex-wife, Anita.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 July 2025
-
Actor Tyler Hilton played Chris Keller, a charming but arrogant musician, on four seasons of the teen soap.—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
There are no longer arbitrary divisions in which people say that different functions aren’t their job or concern.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
Marylanders deserve a civil justice system that recognizes the full scope of human suffering and empowers citizen juries to render verdicts based on evidence rather than arbitrary limitations.—
Bruce M. Plaxen,
Baltimore Sun,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
For many who’ve been on the ground preventing violence in their communities, the debate at the Capitol feels urgent.—
Andrea May Sahouri,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
-
Sutton added that with higher participation in an opt-in system, emergency managers could use that channel for less urgent alerts and conserve IPAWS alerts for the most high-risk situations.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Louise Fletcher portrays the domineering head nurse Ratched.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 July 2025
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But Agnes can’t stop barking orders, leaving the household staff at a loss over who to listen to — their domineering former boss or the woman signing their paychecks.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
In Gaza City, 16% of 15,000 children were found to suffer from acute malnutrition, quadruple the percentage from February.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
25 July 2025
-
This is sometimes called an acute dystonia reaction.—
Ruth Jessen Hickman,
Health,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.—
Steve Inskeep,
NPR,
14 July 2025
-
As mild-mannered Clark Kent and his powerful alter ego, who'd regularly save his pals Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, Reeves brought likability, honesty and an authoritative streak to the role that changed his life. 1.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
The result is an end to the era of NGOs—a great loss for the people who have relied on these organizations’ services, and a boon to autocratic governments that have seen their advocacy as a threat.—
SARAH BUSH,
Foreign Affairs,
3 July 2025
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That changed in 1979 when Iran’s pro-American autocratic ruler, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown and the regime known as the Islamic Republic, which still rules Iran today, was established.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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