Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of imposing height.
- adjective Outstanding; preeminent.
- adjective Very great or intense.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Very tall or lofty: as, towering heights.
- Exceedingly or increasingly violent; rising to an extreme height or intense degree: as, a towering rage.
- In heraldry, same as
soarant . - noun The act of one who towers; specifically, the convulsive action of a bird which, when wounded in a certain way, flies straight up in the air as long as life lasts, and then drops dead; also, the flight thus made. See the quotation.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Very high; elevated; rising aloft.
- adjective Hence, extreme; violent; surpassing.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb Present participle of
tower . - adjective Very
tall orhigh , particularly used to denote something that is taller than anything around it.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective of imposing height; especially standing out above others
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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He was certainly in what they call a towering rage.
Man on the Box Harold MacGrath 1901
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Poker has never been more fashionable than now, and the climactic scene, with its giant villain towering over Hoover Dam, is tailor-made for a Hollywood CGI extravaganza.
MIND MELD: SF/F Books That Would Make A Great TV Series 2010
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"Do you see that mountain towering directly south of us?" he asked.
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WE sailed in that, to appearance, heavenly climate with a fresh sea-breeze, and as the magnificent Blue Mountains of Jamaica receded, the appearance of an island towering from the sea into the very heavens became as it were a speck on the mighty ocean.
The Autobiography of Liuetenant-General Sir Harry Smith, Baronet of Aliwal on the Sutlej, G. C. B. 1903
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It was delightful to see the big sail again towering up overhead, and to hear the swish of the water under the cabin windows; but we were still one hundred and nine miles from Rhoda, and we knew that nothing but an extraordinary run of luck could possibly get us there by the twenty-third of the month, with time to see Beni Hassan on the way.
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When her proud pretensions are baffled, and her vain towering hopes of an absolute and universal dominion brought to nought, and she appears not to have been so strong and considerable as she would have been thought to be, then to see the nakedness of the land do they come, and it appears ridiculous.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume IV (Isaiah to Malachi) 1721
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Paternoster's voice is often described as towering, and it certainly can be, but in less full-throttle moments she sounds oddly elfin.
Culture Guide Jeff Klingman 2010
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Paternoster's voice is often described as towering, and it certainly can be, but in less full-throttle moments she sounds oddly elfin.
Culture Guide Jeff Klingman 2010
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When the pope spoke at Aida refugee camp nearby, he called the towering wall Israel built around Palestinian areas a symbol of "stalemate."
unknown title 2009
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"As Nigel just said, Jerry retired from the telethon this year, but of course, he's here with us in spirit and in heart, and we will continue to be energized and inspired by what I like to call his towering example," Carl said.
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