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GRE vocabulary

imperious

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore I words

arrogantly domineering or commanding

Word origin: From Latin imperium, command or authority.

In a sentence

Imperious in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing imperious in a sentence.

With an imperious wave, the duchess dismissed the servants from the room.

With an imperious wave she dismissed the petitioners before they had finished speaking.

Synonyms
overbearingdomineeringhigh-handeddictatorial
Usage & nuance

Using “imperious” well

Imperious means arrogantly commanding, expecting obedience as a matter of course. It is easily confused with imperial, which simply pertains to an empire, and with impervious, which means impenetrable.

Common questions

Questions about “imperious

Imperious (adjective) means arrogantly domineering or commanding
Here is imperious used in an example sentence: "With an imperious wave, the duchess dismissed the servants from the room." Another example: "With an imperious wave she dismissed the petitioners before they had finished speaking."
Common synonyms for imperious include overbearing, domineering, high-handed, dictatorial.
Antonyms of imperious include submissive, deferential.
Clusters with overbearing, domineering, and dictatorial, opposed by submissive and deferential. Beware the look-alikes imperial and impervious, which the GRE may use to mislead.
Yes. Imperious is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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