Meanings
present singular third person lords it over · participle present lording it over · participle past lorded it over · past lorded it over
- idiomatictransitiveTo behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to.
Peter was a little annoyed with them for knowing so much, but if he wanted to lord it over them his triumph was at hand.
1911, J[ames] M[atthew] Barrie, chapter 4, in Peter and Wendy, London: Hodder & Stoughton, →OCLC4 more examples
They were in a manner absolute despots in their little domains, lording it, if so disposed, over both law and gospel, and accountable to none but the mother-country.
1809, Diedrich Knickerbocker [pseudonym; Washington Irving], chapter XVI, in A History of New York, from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), New York, N.Y.: Inskeep & Bradford, […], →OCLCMr. and Mrs. Bumble, deprived of their situations, were gradually reduced to great indigence and misery, and finally became paupers in that very same workhouse in which they had once lorded it over others.
1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], chapter 53, in Oliver Twist; […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLCThe Delhi Durbar of 1911 saw King George V and Queen Mary bedecked in sapphires and rubies lording it over half a million Indian subjects.
2011 April 28, Tristram Hunt, “How the Monarchy Allows Britannia to Make Waves”, in TimeIt’s people who are really lost and don’t have anything, so they’re desperately trying to make themselves feel better by acquiring, by lording it over people, by being powerful and wealthy. They’re damaged people doing so much damage.
2025 September 12, Ryan Gilbey, quoting Charlie Kaufman, “‘Hollywood has everything to do with the terrible state of the world’: Charlie Kaufman on AI, Eternal Sunshine – and toothache”, in The Guardian, →ISSNSynonyms: queen it
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Finnish ylpeillä, pöyhkeillä
- ylpeilläto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
- pöyhkeilläto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
- rehvastellato behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
- herrastellato behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
German herablassend behandeln
- herablassend behandelnto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
Italian darsi delle arie, tirarsela
- darsi delle arieto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
- tirarselato behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
Latin dominari
- dominarito behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
Polish panoszyć się, rozpanoszyć się
- panoszyć sięto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
- rozpanoszyć sięto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
Russian кома́ндовать, госпо́дствовать
- кома́ндовать (komándovatʹ)to behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
- госпо́дствовать (gospódstvovatʹ)to behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
Spanish señorear
- señorearto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
Turkish dünyaları ben yarattım havasında olmak, büyüklenmek
- dünyaları ben yarattım havasında olmakto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
- büyüklenmekto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
- büyüklük taslamakto behave as if one is in control of; to make a display of having an advantage over or superiority to
Cite this entry
lord it over. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lord%20it%20over
“lord it over.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lord%20it%20over. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lord it over,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lord%20it%20over.
Source: lord it over on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.