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The Collaborative International Dictionary
To impose on

Impose \Im*pose"\, v. i. To practice tricks or deception. To impose on or To impose upon,

  1. to pass or put a trick on; to delude; to cheat; to defraud. ``He imposes on himself, and mistakes words for things.''
    --Locke.

  2. to place an unwelcome burden or obligation on (another person); as, she imposed on her friend to drive her daughter to school.

  3. to take unfair advantage of (a person, a friendship); as, he imposed on his friendship with The Mayor to gain business.

Usage examples of "to impose on".

We made mention of him in the two former books as an incontestably great man, who had before conquered and subdued the Carthaginians, and who would have put an end to the first Punic war, had not an inordinate appetite for praise and glory prompted him to impose on the worn-out Carthagians harder conditions than they could bear.

The Baron consumed two snifters of kirana brandy, double the limit Cru had attempted to impose on him, but he didn't care.

Palaeologus engages to impose on his clergy and people the same spiritual yoke.

It crawled past block after block until Ken felt every muscle twitching at the restraints he had to impose on himself.

If you're interested in statistics, the sail is 83 meters high, and the maximum load we expect to impose on it is 115 rpms.

Besides, in the eyes of these people it was not a murder, but simple justice according to their code, and what right had I to impose on them the laws of a civilization which they had not attained?

As a precaution, and to impose on the ill-disposed, the petitioners provide themselves with arms and line the approaches.

Patterns men tried to impose on their lives, for the comforting illusion of order?

His bride-to-be had once been betrothed to a human named Kevin Wyatt thanks to some arcane Betazoid ritual that Lwaxana, in a fit of lunacy, decided to impose on her daughter.

If Cromwell, on becoming Protector, remained sectarian, and the compulsory servant of an army of sectarians, he took good care not to impose on other churches the theology, rites and discipline of his own church.