Imperious ***

imperious







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a. (形容詞 adjective)



          1.    專橫的;飛揚跋扈的;傲慢的

                      She spoke to me in an imperious voice.

                      她用傲慢的口氣對我說話。

          1.    絕對必要的;緊急的;迫切的

                      imperious demands

                      迫切的需求





The Columbia Guide to Standard American English

 

imperative, imperious (adjs.) 

   

If something is imperative (rhyme the stressed second syllable with pair), you have to do it; it is required (although if you have an imperative air, it may suggest merely that you're accustomed to giving orders). 



Imperious (rhyme the stressed second syllable with peer) applies mainly to people and their gestures or actions: An imperious woman is impatient and determined to have her way; she will not brook restraint. 



Imperious has a pejorative edge, 

whereas something imperative is not necessarily good or bad. 





Cate Blanchett: Queen of the screen (1)



This versatility underlines why Blanchett is one of the supreme screen actors of her era, but also underlines why she is not one of its best-loved stars. She is too quicksilver, too spiky. Contemplating her career, it is hard not to be reminded of another equally imperious and volatile performer from the golden age of Hollywood, namely Katharine Hepburn.





see pejorative