# I'm trying to think of a word **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 19, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024 "2015-04-19T04:01:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/1 "2015-04-19T04:01:34Z")
… to describe a person whose every utterance is absolute, who is positive that s/he is right and who does not harbor any doubts about anything s/he says. You should just take their utterances as given, and not expect any supporting evidence, even though there may be a lot of both supporting and counter evidence. This person does not know “on the other hand.” Now that I’ve written out the description, it sounds a lot like Sheldon Cooper. Interesting. Has anyone on that show used the word I’m looking for (something specific to this characteristic, not a generic “asshole” sort of word)? I was so sure there was such a word, but I have been reaching for it for days now and I can’t come up with one. I’ve tried thesauruses to no avail. Any help out there? ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/2 "2015-04-19T04:09:00Z")
Maybe some variant of “Absolutist”? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/3 "2015-04-19T04:10:38Z")
“Bill O’Reilly”? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/4 "2015-04-19T04:15:10Z")
There are various terms, depending on how you wish to paint the person. Did you consider any of these?: _cocksure overbearing dogmatic unflappable imposing imperative dictatorial_ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/5 "2015-04-19T05:13:19Z")
There’s the phrase “ipse dixit” which means “he has spoken”. It originally referred to somebody who had the power to make official declarations - for example, a judge - but now it more often refers to somebody who acts as if anything they say is a declaration of fact. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/6 "2015-04-19T05:22:38Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > There’s the phrase “ipse dixit” which means “he has spoken”. It originally referred to somebody who had the power to make official declarations - for example, a judge - but now it more often refers to somebody who acts as if anything they say is a declaration of fact. Or, Mammy Yokum’s famous declaration: “AH has spoken!” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/7 "2015-04-19T05:34:28Z")
Just spotted this one, in German, in the nearby thread about silly euphemisms: > [@Suggest a Humorous Euphemism (kid-friendly too, please!)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-humorous-euphemism-kid-friendly-too-please/717861/47): > > \*Rotzlöffel \*(it actually means an annoyingly know-it-all young person who is still wet behind the ears; literally translates as “snot-spoon”) ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/8 "2015-04-19T09:17:45Z")
[wordhippo.com](http://wordhippo.com) is a great site for questions like this. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/9 "2015-04-19T11:43:24Z")
Arrogant Smug Uppity Presumptuous Haughty ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/10 "2015-04-19T13:06:41Z")
Around here, we call him Mike. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/11 "2015-04-19T13:48:16Z")
Narcissist. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/12 "2015-04-19T13:59:56Z")
First thing I thought of was [Imprimatur Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/imprimatur) ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/13 "2015-04-19T14:16:48Z")
**Obstinate** Looking it up it gives **pertinacious** as a synonym. I’ve never used that word and if you think I’m going to start now you’ve got another thing coming! Also **refractory** , but I’ve been using that to describe bricks. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/14 "2015-04-19T14:19:13Z")
I first thought of _fundamentalist_, but that’s not quite right. Checking a thesaurus gave me the following alternatives: die-hard \*a person who vigorously maintains or defends a seemingly hopeless position, outdated attitude, lost cause, or the like. \* intransigent _a person who refuses to agree or compromise, as in politics._ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/15 "2015-04-19T15:39:30Z")
I find “useless” pretty well describes the folks the OP’s asking about. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/16 "2015-04-19T15:41:48Z")
Doper ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/17 "2015-04-19T16:15:48Z")
supercilious peremptory autocrat know-it-all ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/18 "2015-04-19T16:46:40Z")
Dogmatic. That’s the word I was trying to think of (thanks **guizot** ). Not a difficult or unusual word, but I just couldn’t think of it. I’m sure there’s a good reason for that, other than creeping senility. Lots of other good words up there too, guys. But “dogmatic” is the one I was trying to think of, that was in the back of my mind and the tip of my tongue at the same time. (Here’s a phenomenon, I wonder if there’s a name for it: while trying to think of this word I came up with “didactic” which is sort of related but not a synonym. Once I had that word in my head that was it, I couldn’t come up with the right word because “didactic” was too close in sound and was sort of blocking the right word.) ---
**Author:** ![owlfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@owlfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlfan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/19 "2015-04-19T16:58:39Z")
Overweening ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/20 "2015-04-19T17:07:19Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Dogmatic. That’s the word I was trying to think of (thanks **guizot** ). > > Not a difficult or unusual word, but I just couldn’t think of it. I’m sure there’s a good reason for that, other than creeping senility. > > Lots of other good words up there too, guys. But “dogmatic” is the one I was trying to think of, that was in the back of my mind and the tip of my tongue at the same time. > > (Here’s a phenomenon, I wonder if there’s a name for it: while trying to think of this word I came up with “didactic” which is sort of related but not a synonym. Once I had that word in my head that was it, I couldn’t come up with the right word because “didactic” was too close in sound and was sort of blocking the right word.) That _phenomenon_ you describe is attacking me a lot these days (must be related to aging somehow) to the point of having to rely on another similar sequence of events: that of knowing that if I wait a while (hours in some cases) the missing word or face or snippet of a song will eventually penetrate my consciousness from where it had been lurking. Just the other day I was having lunch with some old buddies and had several instances of having to wait to finish a thought or sentence until that “recall circuit” had completed. At least the other folks had similar issues so I wasn’t made to feel totally inadequate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024.md?page=2)