Towering — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈtau̇(-ə)r-iŋ/ tow·er·ing

Meaning & Definition of Towering

Towering (adjective)

  1. impressively high or great, imposing
  2. reaching a high point of intensity, overwhelming
  3. going beyond proper bounds, excessive

Towering (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. extending to a great distance upward

    "the towering mountain peaks of the Rockies"

    similar: altitudinous, high, lofty, tall
    related: dominant, dominating, eminent, prominent, elevated, lifted, raised, uplifted, upswept, high-rise, statuesque
    opposite: low, low-lying, short, squat
    near: flat, stubby, stumpy

  2. going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount

    "doting parents who tend to give their children towering praise for very minor accomplishments"

    similar: baroque, devilish, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, lavish, over-the-top, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch, overweening, plethoric, steep, stiff, unconscionable, undue, unmerciful, a bit much
    related: boundless, endless, immeasurable, infinite, limitless, unbearable, unjustifiable, unwarranted, improper, inappropriate, thick, unseemly, unrestrained
    opposite: middling, moderate, modest, reasonable, temperate
    near: deficient, inadequate, insufficient, minimal, minimum

  3. very dignified in form, tone, or style

    "an article that in towering language decries the evils of modern society"

    similar: elevated, eloquent, formal, high-flown, lofty, majestic, stately
    related: affected, bombastic, declamatory, florid, flowery, grandiloquent, grandiose, highfalutin, oratorical, pompous, pretentious, rhetorical, stilted, Attic, cultured, refined, classy, courtly, fine, graceful, tasteful, aristocratic, genteel, patrician, correct, educated, grammatical, proper, academic, bookish, learned, literary
    opposite: ineloquent, low, undignified
    near: casual, colloquial, conversational, informal, nonformal, slangy, unbookish, unliterary, vernacular, coarse, common, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, indecent, lowbred, lowbrow, rough, rough-hewn, rude, tasteless, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar, incorrect, substandard, uneducated, ungrammatical, unlearned

Towering (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in surging

    similar: surging, arising, ascending, aspiring, climbing, lifting, mounting, rising, soaring, thrusting, upping, uprearing, uprising, upthrusting, upturning, boosting, elevating, raising, upheaving, uplifting, upraising, ballooning, blasting off, taking off, zooming, cresting, scaling, surmounting, topping, canting, inclining, leaning, listing, reclining, slanting, sloping, tilting, tipping
    opposite: declining, descending, dipping, dropping, falling (off), plunging, diving, nose-diving, plummeting, sinking, sliding

Related Entry: Tower (over) (verb)

Tower (over) is a different word from Towering. The synonyms below are for tower (over), not for towering.

  1. to be greater, better, or stronger than

    "that actor's performance towered over all others in the film"

    similar: beat, better, eclipse, exceed, excel, outclass, outdistance, outdo, outgun, outmatch, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend, go one better, run circles around
    related: one-up, outpace, outrace, outrun, overpass, best, clobber, conquer, crush, defeat, drub, lick, master, outcompete, outperform, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), rout, shame, skunk, subdue, surmount, thrash, trim, triumph (over), trounce, wallop, whip, win (against), worst, outbalance, outweigh, overbear, overshadow, trump
    near: lose (to)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Towering

The most common words with a similar meaning to Towering:

altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, baroque, devilish, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, lavish, over-the-top, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch, overweening, plethoric, steep, stiff, unconscionable, undue, unmerciful, elevated, eloquent, formal, high-flown, majestic, stately, a bit much, surging, arising, ascending, aspiring, climbing, lifting

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Towering

Words with the opposite meaning of Towering:

low, low-lying, short, squat, middling, moderate, modest, reasonable, temperate, ineloquent, undignified, declining, descending, dipping, dropping, falling (off), plunging, diving, nose-diving, plummeting, sinking, sliding

Related Words for Towering

dominant, dominating, eminent, prominent, lifted, raised, uplifted, upswept, high-rise, statuesque, boundless, endless, immeasurable, infinite, limitless, unbearable, unjustifiable, unwarranted, improper, inappropriate, thick, unseemly, unrestrained, affected, bombastic, declamatory, florid, flowery, grandiloquent, grandiose

Near Antonyms of Towering

flat, stubby, stumpy, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, minimal, minimum, casual, colloquial, conversational, informal, nonformal, slangy, unbookish, unliterary, vernacular, coarse, common, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, indecent, lowbred, lowbrow, rough, rough-hewn, rude, tasteless

Word Forms of Towering

Derived words: toweringly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Towering

First known use: 1592

Frequently Asked Questions about Towering

What does "Towering" mean?

"Towering" means impressively high or great, imposing. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: impressively high or great, imposing. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Towering"?

Other words for "Towering" include altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, baroque, devilish, excessive and exorbitant. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Towering" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Towering"?

There are 127 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Towering". Common alternatives include altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, baroque, devilish, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant and extreme.

What is the opposite of "Towering"?

Antonyms of "Towering" include low, low-lying, short, squat, middling, moderate, modest and reasonable. Near antonyms include flat, stubby, stumpy and deficient.

How do you use "Towering" in a sentence?

Examples of "Towering" in a sentence: "the towering mountain peaks of the Rockies"; "doting parents who tend to give their children towering praise for very minor accomplishments"; "an article that in towering language decries the evils of modern society".

Is "Towering" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Towering" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Towering"?

"Towering" is pronounced /ˈtau̇(-ə)r-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as tow·er·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Towering"?

First known use: 1592.