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commanding

commanding

2 6.0
In a high position that gives a wide, impressive view of the area
  • adjective
  • /kəˈmændɪŋ/
translation icon : dominante
  • Inside the compound were a gatekeeper's house, a guesthouse that overlooked the quaint lagoon, and the grand main house with commanding views of the ocean.
  • commanding heights

This is a high seating position, good commanding lookout, see the world, think you're something when you're driving this car and everybody loves that.

Examples

  • The sprawling NT$6.2 billion (US$211.5 million) project will cover 120,780 square meters on a site that boasts commanding views of the harbor.

    Blog text (23)
  • Perched atop Raymond Hill in what is today South Pasadena, the hotel offered commanding views of the then-pastoral San Gabriel Valley countryside.

    Blog text (8)
  • The apartment was at best three rooms, modern furniture, with a commanding view of the sea.

    Blog text (24)
  • But the building and its location are Malone writ large: standalone, brawny, and commanding views of clean sky and snowcapped mountains shining like chrome in the distance.

    Blog text (29)
  • He points out horseshoe-shaped mounds, which he believes were middens surrounding dwellings that lined the edge of the bluff with commanding views of the waters.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The hilltop offered a commanding view of the town, the river, and the surrounding countryside.

  • The Residency itself stood on high ground, which gave it a commanding view of the city and the Gumti River.

  • At 17,500 feet, it usually offered a commanding view of the mountains that rose craggy and snow-flocked around it.

Synonyms

dominating
vscommanding
5.3

High above nearby land and looking down on it

emphasizes a wide impressive or strategic view rather than just great height
overlooking
vscommanding
3.1

A place with a view of something below

gives a broader, more impressive or strategic view than a simple higher position

Antonyms

low
1.0

Near the ground in height

Compounds

commanding officer
  • Specialized
80 4.1

An officer in charge of a group of soldiers

How Commanding

commanding
2 6.0
panoramic
15 4.9

Surface Forms

commanding positive

Morphology

commanding = command (semi-transparent) = command + ing

Formed from the verb 'command' + '-ing', but the sense 'providing a wide view' is a metaphorical extension that may not be obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Commanding comes from the word command, which is related to the Latin mandare meaning 'to order'. Imagine a commander on a high hill who can see and control the land below, so a commanding position is one that looks over and controls an area.