imperious
im-PEER-ee-us · adjective
Arrogantly commanding and expecting immediate obedience.
Memory connection
Picture “in, peer, us!”
A captain points at the door and roars, ‘In! Peer! Us!’ The crew scrambles to obey his overbearing command.
The sound cue helps you reach the scene; the action in the scene carries you from the scene to the definition.
Use it accurately
Meaning in context
Her imperious tone made a reasonable request sound like an order from a throne.
The manager waved an imperious hand and demanded that everyone leave.
Imperious describes domineering behavior, tone, gestures, or people. It combines command with arrogant certainty of being obeyed.
Common patterns
- imperious manner
- imperious tone
- an imperious gesture
Quick check
Can you retrieve the meaning?
Which behavior is imperious?
Choose an answer, then explain it in your own words.