Word: imperious (adjective)

Associations

"Imperious" describes a person or behavior that is very commanding, bossy, or arrogant. It often means someone acts like they are more important and expect others to obey without question.

• She gave an imperious order to her team. (She spoke in a very bossy way.)
• His imperious attitude made it hard for others to work with him. (He acted like he was superior.)
• The teacher’s imperious tone showed she wanted full respect and obedience. (She spoke very authoritatively.)

A well-known synonym is "domineering." The difference is that "imperious" often also suggests arrogance or pride, while "domineering" focuses more on controlling others forcefully.

Substitution

You can replace "imperious" with:

• bossy (more informal, less serious)
• commanding (more neutral, less negative)
• overbearing (similar meaning, also negative)
• arrogant (focuses more on pride than control)

Each word changes the tone a little. For example, "bossy" is casual and often used for children, while "imperious" sounds more formal and serious.

Deconstruction

"Imperious" comes from Latin "imperiosus," which means "commanding" or "full of authority."

• Root: "imper-" means "command" or "rule" (related to "emperor" or "imperial").
• Suffix: "-ious" means "full of" or "having the quality of."

So, "imperious" literally means "full of command" or "having the quality of commanding."

Inquiry

• Can you think of someone you know who acts imperiously? How do you feel when they speak to you?
• How is "imperious" different from just being confident or assertive?
• In what situations might an imperious attitude be a problem? When might it be useful?