imperious
gb/ɪmpˈɪɹiəs/ us/ɪmpˈɪɹiəs/
C1
English
~ 8400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
formal
C1
property
1
arrogantly bossy and commanding
Behaving like a very important boss who expects other people to obey immediately.
Usage pattern:
[someone] has an imperious [tone/manner/attitude]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "imperious" with "imperial" or "important." "Imperial" relates to an empire or emperor, while "imperious" describes a person or manner that is bossy and expects obedience. It also should not be confused with "impervious," which means "not affected by" or "not allowing something to pass through."
Synonyms
overbearing (Stresses being unpleasantly bossy and controlling, often used in similar contexts.)
|
domineering (Focuses on trying to control others; slightly more common in everyday speech.)
|
haughty (Emphasizes proud, looking-down attitude more than the act of giving orders.)
Antonyms
humble (Describes someone who does not act as if they are more important than others.)
|
deferential (Shows respect and willingness to follow others, the opposite of commanding them.)
Collocations
imperious tone
|imperious manner
|imperious demand
|imperious look
|imperious gesture
|imperious voice
Themes
emotions
|social
|personality
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her imperious tone made it clear she expected everyone to follow her plan without question.
- The manager’s imperious manner quickly created resentment among his team.
- He gave an imperious wave of his hand, dismissing their concerns as unimportant.
- An imperious email from headquarters ordered all staff to return to the office immediately.
- The child’s imperious demands for attention exhausted everyone around him.
Learner examples
- The boss spoke in an imperious voice, and no one argued.
- His imperious manner made people feel small and unimportant.
- She gave him an imperious look that told him to be quiet.
- The teacher was kind but not imperious with her students.
- I do not like his imperious attitude at meetings.
adjective
formal
C2
property
2
urgent and impossible to ignore
Very urgent and important, so that it must be dealt with at once.
Usage pattern:
an imperious [need/necessity/duty] to [do something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is about a proud person, like the main sense. In this use, "imperious" describes a need, duty, or situation that feels extremely urgent and cannot be ignored, not someone's arrogant personality.
Synonyms
pressing (Common word for something that needs quick action; less formal than "imperious.")
|
urgent (General word for needing fast attention, without the strong, formal tone of "imperious.")
Antonyms
trivial (Describes something unimportant and easy to ignore, the opposite of strongly urgent.)
|
nonessential (Indicates that something is not really necessary and can be delayed or skipped.)
Collocations
imperious need
|imperious necessity
|imperious duty
|imperious impulse
Themes
time
|necessity
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He felt an imperious need to call his family and make sure they were safe.
- The report warned of the imperious necessity to reform the healthcare system.
- She resisted the imperious impulse to reply in anger and chose her words carefully.
- For many residents, the lack of clean water created an imperious demand for immediate action.
- There was an imperious duty to assist the victims after the storm.
Learner examples
- I suddenly felt an imperious need to drink water.
- The city has an imperious need for more housing.
- There is an imperious duty to help children in danger.
- They spoke about the imperious necessity to change the law.
- He fought the imperious impulse to shout at his boss.
Grammar
Dictionary form
imperious
IPA
GB/ɪmpˈɪɹiəs/
US/ɪmpˈɪɹiəs/
Syllables & stress
im - per - i - ous (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (per)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: imperious
Word family
Core family
imperiously
adverb
Related words
imperiousness
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.