tyrannous

adjective

tyr·​an·​nous ˈtir-ə-nəs 

: marked by tyranny

especially : unjustly severe

tyrannous new laws

tyrannously adverb

Synonyms

• absolute
• arbitrary
• autocratic
• autocratical
• czarist
• tsarist
• tzarist
• despotic
• dictatorial
• monocratic
• tyrannical
• tyrannic

Examples of tyrannous in a Sentence

studied the tyrannous rule of Stalin, communist dictator of the Soviet Union

my older sister is a tyrannous bore who isn't happy unless she's in charge

Recent Examples on the Web

Indeed, Daniel Roher’s pulse-pumping documentary about the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has all the ingredients: a mysterious case of near-fatal poisoning, a web of for-hire hoodlums, Vladimir Putin as the tyrannous leader behind it all. —Tomris Laffly, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Feb. 2022

The same study posited that Fela was not the only popular musician who confronted the military and tyrannous leaders of Nigeria between independence in 1960 and Fela’s passing in 1997. —Garhe Osiebe, Quartz Africa, 21 Feb. 2021

The patriarchs of their respective homes, Polonius (Peter Friedman) and Claudius (Ritchie Coster) enthrone themselves on the toilet, oblivious of the tumult their tyrannous treachery has wreaked. Syringes creepily replace swords. —Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 19 Aug. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tyrannous

adjective

tyr·​an·​nous ˈtir-ə-nəs 

: tyrannical

tyrannously adverb