Synonyms of despot

despot

noun

ˈde-spət 

as in tyrant

a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way

the despot exiled political dissidents to remote labor camps, where they were left to rot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tyrant
• dictator
• pharaoh
• ruler
• warlord
• strongman
• oppressor
• fuehrer
• overlord
• caesar
• führer
• prince
• man on horseback
• tycoon
• king
• leader
• autocrat
• monarch
• magnate
• potentate
• authoritarian
• baron
• totalitarian
• tsar
• boss
• dominator
• tyrannizer
• sovereign
• caudillo
• master
• czar
• queen
• lord
• chief
• tzar
• paramount
• captain
• martinet
• Big Brother
• autarch
• mogul
• taskmaster
• sovran
• enforcer
• kingpin
• disciplinarian
• monocrat
• discipliner

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of despot

Both end with pitch-black gags that should serve as cautionary warnings for any aspiring despots. —Donald Liebenson, Vulture, 14 June 2024

To let mystics into this realm leads to error, disorder, and insurrection—to government by fanatics, maniacs, and despots claiming divinity. —Simon Critchley, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

Of course, the supply chains underpinning renewable energy are not free of geopolitical complications, but the actual energy source is invariably local and immune to interference—after all, once a windmill or solar panel is in place, no foreign despot can shut down the wind or the sun. —Alexander Gard-Murray, Foreign Affairs, 23 Aug. 2023

Overthrowing the local government, and becoming my town’s first girl-boss despot. —Erika Sjule, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024

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