Literary notes about DOMINATE (AI summary)
In literature, "dominate" takes on a multifaceted role that often signifies a commanding presence—be it physical, psychological, social, or abstract. It is used to describe a physical prominence, as when a building is portrayed as towering over its surroundings [1] or a structure commands the vertical space of a wall [2]. The term also captures the struggle for control within human relationships and the self, where characters grapple with inner forces, such as Dorian Gray’s overpowering personality [3] or the challenge of mastering one’s thoughts [4]. Beyond the individual, domination extends into large-scale arenas, reflecting the dynamics of wealth, political power, or even cultural influence on society, as in discussions of world control [5] or economic ascendency [6]. Through these varied usages, the word enriches literary depictions by linking both concrete imagery and abstract ideas of power and supremacy [7, 8].
- The gloomy building rose from the bosom of the ocean with imposing majesty and seemed to dominate the scene.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - These were tall enough to dominate the wall.
— from The Golden Hope: A Story of the Time of King Alexander the Great by Robert H. (Robert Higginson) Fuller - As long as I live, the personality of Dorian Gray will dominate me.
— from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - When you have become master of your thought, when you have once learned to dominate your mind, you will find that things will begin to come your way.
— from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden - The outlook is that the English-speaking race will dominate the earth a hundred years from now, if its sections do not get to fighting each other.
— from Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World by Mark Twain - The economy has traditionally been based on agriculture, but services now dominate.
— from The 2005 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency - There is much science in his teaching although the science does not dominate, but, instead of it, the old, trite "metaphysical necessity."
— from Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche - The same axiomatic proposition must dominate every legal task, but especially every task of criminal law.
— from Criminal Psychology: A Manual for Judges, Practitioners, and Students by Hans Gross