Imperious

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(pronounced im-peer-ee-us; "peer" rhymes with "beer") adjective

Definition

1. domineering; overbearing; harshly and disdainfully arrogant; being commanding or dictatorial without justification. 2. urgent; imperative; demanding immediate attention; critical; necessary.

Main Example

• How come Ron Klain, the current White House chief of staff, is hardly ever in the news, especially when compared to, say, Rahm Emanuel, who was President Obama's first chief of staff? Those in the know describe Klain as being extremely low-key--a far cry from Emanuel, who loved to draw attention to himself, operated in a highly visible style, and who was exceedingly imperious in manner.

Workplace Examples

• Karen will have to change her ways if she wants to be successful here. To most of us, she comes across as a little imperious, maybe because of the dictatorial powers she enjoyed in her previous job.

• What's the deal with Michael? During the last few meetings, whenever I've opened my mouth, he's dismissed my comments with an imperious wave of his hand. He may be senior to me in the organization but he's not my boss or anything.

Other Examples

• a coworker saying: "You're right, there is a bit of imperiousness in Iris, especially in her tone. It seems as if she likes to sound important."
• a colleague saying jokingly: "I'm still not sure if I'll be able to attend the company picnic on Sunday. It all depends on what Pat decides. As you know, I'm at the beck and call of my somewhat imperious spouse."
• the imperious Miranda Priestly character played so convincingly by Meryl Streep in the movie "The Devil Wears Prada"
• political analysts saying that some of our most powerful senators, especially those assured of reelection, often behave "too imperiously" and that they ought to "shed their imperious demeanor"; the harsh and imperious tone in the some of the dissenting opinions written by U.S. Supreme Court justices who, by law, are appointed for life; allegedly, some corporate boards acting like rubber stamps and letting CEOs get away with imperiousness
• megafires, unprecedented rainfall, and rising ocean levels clearly demonstrating that global warming has become the most imperious issue facing mankind

• Anecdotal evidence suggests that some airline employees have become unjustifiably arrogant in the post-Sept. 11 era: they've become more prone to imperiously calling the airport police if a passenger waiting to enplane becomes argumentative.

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