overbearing
adjective
over·bear·ing
ˌō-vər-ˈber-iŋ 
1
a
: tending to overwhelm : overpowering
They [teachers] say they're frequently harassed by overbearing parents, who call them all hours of the day and weekends …—
Jean Mackenzie
Jean Mackenzie
b
: decisively important : dominant
… didn't think it was the overbearing consideration here.—J. S. Cooper
J. S. Cooper2
: harshly and haughtily arrogant
the mayor's overbearing manner of dealing with employees
Examples of overbearing in a Sentence
He had to deal with his overbearing mother.
Her husband's overbearing manner made her miserable.
Recent Examples on the Web
As the overbearing Barone family matriarch, Doris Roberts was the queen of laughs, doting on her sons, berating her two daughters-in-law and bickering with her husband.
—Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Jed’s world is comfortable, though Clare can never quite shed her fish-out-of-water feeling, and Jed’s overbearing mom seems to take pleasure in making sure Clare remains uncomfortable.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Gore, Downey had decided, was an overbearing schoolteacher.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
This dark, varied green pulls in cool undertones of yellow and slate without being overbearing.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overbearing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Jed’s world is comfortable, though Clare can never quite shed her fish-out-of-water feeling, and Jed’s overbearing mom seems to take pleasure in making sure Clare remains uncomfortable.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Gore, Downey had decided, was an overbearing schoolteacher.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
This dark, varied green pulls in cool undertones of yellow and slate without being overbearing.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for overbearing
Cite this Entry
“Overbearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overbearing. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
