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
-
In addition to Sandler, the 2025 film also sees the return of several familiar faces, including Julie Bowen as Happy’s love interest, Virginia Venit; Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, Happy’s arrogant nemesis; and Ben Stiller as Hal L., the orderly from Happy’s grandmother’s nursing home.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
Christopher McDonald plays Happy’s comically villainous, arrogant rival Shooter McGavin, maestro of the finger guns.—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Florida court contrived a weird and arbitrary compromise, granting new sentencing hearings only to death row prisoners whose sentences were considered final after 2002, when the U.S. court issued a decision that was a precursor to Hurst’s.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 July 2025
-
Ultimately, Bae acknowledges, these classifications are somewhat arbitrary.—
Cody Cottier,
Discover Magazine,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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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
-
Avoid being domineering, but also avoid being stepped on by someone else.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 July 2025
-
My Mom Died is a heartbreaking and hilarious recounting of McCurdy’s struggles as a former child actor while dealing with her overbearing, domineering mother.—
Charley Ross,
Glamour,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
This is sometimes called an acute dystonia reaction.—
Ruth Jessen Hickman,
Health,
25 July 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.—
Steve Inskeep,
NPR,
14 July 2025
-
There’s an authoritative front grille and bumper, and revised rear tail lights.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Power Without Reciprocity and Organizational Collapse Rome transitioned from a participatory republic to an autocratic empire.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
-
As the citizens of the state struggle to seize power back from an autocratic government, the story centers on Jamil, a war zone courier/smuggler, and Zora, a young leader in the Mulholland Resistance, who attempt to escape Occupied Los Angeles, a city under martial law.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imperious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imperious. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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