EN

Synonyms for commanding

  • adjective

Most common

powerful imposing authoritative domineering bossy

All synonyms

Adjective

powerful, imposing, authoritative, domineering, absolute, imperative, authoritarian, bossy, mandatory, imperious, peremptory, dictatorial

Antonyms

begging

All antonyms of commanding →

Definitions

  1. adj. 1

    Tending to give commands, authoritarian.

Related words

Phrases
commanding officer

Choose the right word

or Commanding?

Commanding is always used in a good sense; as, a commanding appearance; a commanding eminence.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • powerful His powerful speech carried the audience with him.
  • imposing He really does have such thick, imposing eyebrows.
  • authoritative He was the most authoritative among the people.
  • domineering The domineering man pulls everyone into his vortex.
  • bossy Tom told Mary that he didn't think John was bossy.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
commandingsteady
powerfulrising
imposingsteady
authoritativesteady
domineeringrising
bossyrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

5 letters
bossy2
8 letters
powerful3, absolute3, imposing3
9 letters
mandatory4, imperious4
10 letters
imperative4, peremptory4
11 letters
dictatorial5, domineering4
13 letters
authoritarian6, authoritative5

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bossy2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
injonctif