I. adjective
Etymology: from present participle of tower (II)
1.
a. : rising to a great height : imposing
towering pines
the towering structure of American prosperity — F.L.Allen
b. : impressively great : extremely high in relation to others : surpassing
a figure of towering prestige — R.H.Rovere
2. : reaching a high point of intensity or violence : overwhelming
a towering passion
a towering rage
his superb and towering contempt for his guilty stepfather — G.B.Shaw
3. : going beyond proper bounds : excessive , overweening
towering ambitions
a towering poet's pride — William Cowper
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: from gerund of tower (II)
: a mirage in which objects some distance away appear to be stretched vertically to unnatural heights