imperious

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: im=pe=ri=ous

CIDE DICTIONARY

imperious, a. [L. imperiosus: cf. F. impérieux. See Imperial.].

•  Commanding; ascendant; imperial; lordly; majestic.  Tilloison.  [1913 Webster]

  "Therefore, great lords, be, as your titles witness,
  Imperious."  [1913 Webster]
•  Haughly; arrogant; overbearing; as, an imperious tyrant; an imperious manner.  [1913 Webster]

  "This imperious man will work us all
  From princes into pages."  [1913 Webster]

  "His bold, contemptuous, and imperious spirit soon made him conspicuous."  [1913 Webster]
•  Imperative; urgent; compelling.  [1913 Webster]

  "Imperious need, which can not be withstood."

Syn. -- Dictatorial; haughty; domineering; overbearing; lordly; tyrannical; despotic; arrogant; imperative; authoritative; commanding; pressing.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

imperious, adj.
1 overbearing, domineering.
2 urgent, imperative.

Derivative

imperiously adv. imperiousness n.

Etymology

L imperiosus f. imperium command, authority

THESAURUS

imperious

U, absolute, absolutist, absolutistic, acute, arbitrary, aristocratic, arrogant, authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic, binding, bossy, clamorous, coactive, compelling, compulsatory, compulsive, compulsory, constraining, critical, crucial, crying, de rigueur, despotic, dictatorial, domineering, driving, dynastic, elitist, exigent, feudal, grinding, heavy-handed, high and mighty, high-handed, high-pressure, high-priority, hubristic, imperative, imperatorial, imperatorious, imperial, insistent, instant, irresistible, kinglike, kingly, lordly, magisterial, magistral, majestic, mandatory, masterful, monarchal, monarchial, monarchic, monocratic, must, necessary, obligatory, oppressive, overbearing, overruling, peremptory, pivotal, pressing, princelike, princely, purple, queenlike, queenly, regal, repressive, required, restraining, royal, severe, sovereign, strict, stringent, suppressive, tyrannical, tyrannous, urgent

ROGET THESAURUS

imperious

Government

N government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority, authority, master, direction, national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic, kingdom, principality, state government, state, shire, province, county, canton, territory, duchy, archduchy, archdukedom, woiwodshaft, commonwealth, region, property, county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement, mofussil, commune, wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth, soke, tithing, ward, precinct, bailiwick, command, empire, sway, rule, dominion, domination, sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty, lordship, headship, chiefdom, seigniory, seigniority, rule, sway, command, control, administer, govern, lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne, sway the scepter, wield the scepter, wear the crown, state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus, judicature, cabinet, seat of government, seat of authority, headquarters, accession, installation, politics, reign, regime, dynasty, directorship, dictatorship, protectorate, protectorship, caliphate, pashalic, electorate, presidency, presidentship, administration, proconsul, consulship, prefecture, seneschalship, magistrature, magistracy, monarchy, kinghood, kingship, royalty, regality, aristarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy, commonwealth, dominion, heteronomy, republic, republicanism, socialism, collectivism, mob law, mobocracy, ochlocracy, vox populi, imperium in imperio, bureaucracy, beadledom, bumbledom, stratocracy, military power, military government, junta, feodality, feudal system, feudalism, thearchy, theocracy, dinarchy, duarchy, triarchy, heterarchy, duumvirate, triumvirate, autocracy, autonomy, limited monarchy, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, home rule, representative government, monocracy, pantisocracy, gynarchy, gynocracy, gynaeocracy, petticoat government, legislature, judiciary, administration, office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet, senate, house of representatives, parliament, council, courts, supreme court, state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Postal Service, Post Office, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister, senator, representatative, president pro tem, speaker of the house, department head, section head, section chief, federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, treasurer, secretary of the treasury, director of the FBI, governor, state cabinet member, state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman, regal, sovereign, governing, royal, royalist, monarchical, kingly, imperial, imperiatorial, princely, feudal, aristocratic, autocratic, oligarchic, republican, dynastic, ruling, regnant, gubernatorial, imperious, authoritative, executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official, departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute, hegemonic, hegemonical, authorized, government, public, national, federal, his majesty's, her majesty's, state, county, city, N, a dog's obeyed in office, cada uno tiene su alguazil, le Roi le veut, regibus esse manus en nescio longas, regnant populi, the demigod Authority, the right divine of kings to govern wrong, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Pride

N pride, dignity, self-respect, mens sibi conscia recti, pride, haughtiness, high notions, hauteur, vainglory, crest, arrogance, proud man, highflier, fine gentleman, fine lady, dignified, stately, proud, proud-crested, lordly, baronial, lofty- minded, highsouled, high-minded, high-mettled, high-handed, high- plumed, high-flown, high-toned, haughty lofty, high, mighty, swollen, puffed up, flushed, blown, vainglorious, purse-proud, fine, proud as a peacock, proud as Lucifer, bloated with pride, supercilious, disdainful, bumptious, magisterial, imperious, high and mighty, overweening, consequential, arrogant, unblushing, stiff, stiff-necked, starch, perked stuck-up, in buckram, strait- laced, prim, on one's dignity, on one's high horses, on one's tight ropes, on one's high ropes, on stilts, en grand seigneur, with head erect, odi profanum vulgus et arceo, a duke's revenues on her back, disdains the shadow which he treads on at noon, pride in their port, defiance in their eye.

Insolence

N insolence, haughtiness, arrogance, airs, overbearance, domineering, tyranny, impertinence, sauciness, flippancy, dicacity, petulance, procacity, bluster, swagger, swaggering, bounce, terrorism, assumption, presumption, beggar on horseback, usurpation, impudence, assurance, audacity, hardihood, front, face, brass, shamelessness, effrontery, hardened front, face of brass, assumption of infallibility, saucebox, insolent, haughty, arrogant, imperious, magisterial, dictatorial, arbitrary, high-handed, high and mighty, contumelious, supercilious, overbearing, intolerant, domineering, overweening, high-flown, flippant, pert, fresh, cavalier, saucy, forward, impertinent, malapert, precocious, assuming, would-be, bumptious, bluff, brazen, shameless, aweless, unblushlng, unabashed, brazen, boldfaced-, barefaced-, brazen-faced, dead to shame, lost to shame, impudent, audacious, presumptuous, free and easy, devil-may-care, rollicking, jaunty, janty, roistering, blustering, hectoring, swaggering, vaporing, thrasonic, fire eating, full of sound and fury, with a high hand, ex cathedra, one's bark being worse than his bite, beggars mounted run their horse to death, quid times? Caesarem vehis, wagahai wa (expressing superiority).