OVERBEARING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does overbearing mean? 

• OVERBEARING (adjective)
  The adjective OVERBEARING has 2 senses:

1. expecting unquestioning obedience

2. having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

  Familiarity information: OVERBEARING used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OVERBEARING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Expecting unquestioning obedience

Synonyms:

authoritarian; dictatorial; overbearing

Context example:

insufferably overbearing behavior toward the waiter

Similar:

domineering (tending to domineer)

Derivation:

overbearingness (the trait of being imperious and overbearing)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

Synonyms:

disdainful; haughty; imperious; lordly; overbearing; prideful; sniffy; supercilious; swaggering

Context example:

a more swaggering mood than usual

Similar:

proud (feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride)

Derivation:

overbearingness (the trait of being imperious and overbearing)

 Context examples 

It was amusing to me to see how the detective’s overbearing manner had changed suddenly to that of a child asking questions of its teacher.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Indeed, they are children both—the one wizened and cantankerous, the other formidable and overbearing, yet each with a brain which has put him in the front rank of his scientific age.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

His bullying, overbearing manner was all gone too, and he cringed along at my companion’s side like a dog with its master.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It was transient: cleared away in an instant; but Anne could imagine she read there the consciousness of having, by some complication of mutual trick, or some overbearing authority of his, been obliged to attend (perhaps for half an hour) to his lectures and restrictions on her designs on Sir Walter.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Sam, loud and overbearing as he was, she rather regretted when he went, for he was clever and intelligent, and glad to be employed in any errand in the town; and though spurning the remonstrances of Susan, given as they were, though very reasonable in themselves, with ill-timed and powerless warmth, was beginning to be influenced by Fanny's services and gentle persuasions; and she found that the best of the three younger ones was gone in him: Tom and Charles being at least as many years as they were his juniors distant from that age of feeling and reason, which might suggest the expediency of making friends, and of endeavouring to be less disagreeable.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

I had no occasion of bribing, flattering, or pimping, to procure the favour of any great man, or of his minion; I wanted no fence against fraud or oppression: here was neither physician to destroy my body, nor lawyer to ruin my fortune; no informer to watch my words and actions, or forge accusations against me for hire: here were no gibers, censurers, backbiters, pickpockets, highwaymen, housebreakers, attorneys, bawds, buffoons, gamesters, politicians, wits, splenetics, tedious talkers, controvertists, ravishers, murderers, robbers, virtuosos; no leaders, or followers, of party and faction; no encouragers to vice, by seducement or examples; no dungeon, axes, gibbets, whipping-posts, or pillories; no cheating shopkeepers or mechanics; no pride, vanity, or affectation; no fops, bullies, drunkards, strolling whores, or poxes; no ranting, lewd, expensive wives; no stupid, proud pedants; no importunate, overbearing, quarrelsome, noisy, roaring, empty, conceited, swearing companions; no scoundrels raised from the dust upon the merit of their vices, or nobility thrown into it on account of their virtues; no lords, fiddlers, judges, or dancing-masters.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)