1
as in arbitrary
exercising power or authority without interference by others
a nation ruled by a series of despotic rulers, each seemingly worse than the last
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
the despotic coach demands that his players obey him without question
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Recent Examples of despotic
Finally, rulers in despotic regimes might accept assistance in boosting economic growth, provided that such growth does not threaten their own hold on power.
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Stephen D. Krasner, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2020
In just a few days last week, the loose coalition of resistance fighters ended a cruel tyrannical dynastic rein in Syria as Russia and Iran were too distracted to bring air cover to their ally, the despotic President al-Assad.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
Yet over the weekend, suddenly, and to much of the world's surprise, the despotic regime of the al-Assad family fell and Assad himself, with his wife and children, escaped to Moscow, where he was granted political asylum.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
The sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s despotic regime in Syria this weekend highlights the interconnectedness of a growing number of global conflicts, revealing a hard truth that most of us would rather not think about too deeply: World War III has already begun.
—Bryce Hoffman, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for despotic 
Stephen D. Krasner, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2020
In just a few days last week, the loose coalition of resistance fighters ended a cruel tyrannical dynastic rein in Syria as Russia and Iran were too distracted to bring air cover to their ally, the despotic President al-Assad.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
Yet over the weekend, suddenly, and to much of the world's surprise, the despotic regime of the al-Assad family fell and Assad himself, with his wife and children, escaped to Moscow, where he was granted political asylum.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
The sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s despotic regime in Syria this weekend highlights the interconnectedness of a growing number of global conflicts, revealing a hard truth that most of us would rather not think about too deeply: World War III has already begun.
—Bryce Hoffman, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for despotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotic
Adjective
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Pay special attention to changing policies or franchises imposing additional fees that seem arbitrary or exploitative.Michael McFall, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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The outcomes can feel especially arbitrary when everyone is telling more or less the same story.Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yoon’s order faced fierce backlash from the public and lawmakers across the political spectrum, reviving painful memories of the country’s authoritarian past.Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025
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Yes, dollars circulated in authoritarian, murderous Syria because market goods did.John Tamny, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But the backdrops are rendered with an oppressive prettiness that has a perverse cheapening effect.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025
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The total absence of shadow is an oppressive sensation, which engenders a feeling similar to that of claustrophobia.New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The only thing left to contend with is her domineering mother, the formidable 90-year-old Lenore Simmons Krackenberry, who is obsessed with family lineage and Southern heritage.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2025
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Smith is fantastic and terrifying as Mrs. Medlock in The Secret Garden, the stentorian nurse and housekeeper whose domineering overcautiousness feeds into all the self-pitying inclinations of her poor weakling charge Colin Craven.Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Teamsters officials later complained that Harris, who would go on to lose all seven battleground states, was arrogant in her dealings with them.W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Dec. 2024
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Russia, Iran, and many other countries criticize U.S. military interventions as arrogant, ignorant of local context, and unable to fashion either stable regimes or effective security structures.Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For these countries, there is far less concern about Trump’s autocratic tendencies and contempt for liberal internationalist ideals.Bilahari Kausikan, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
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Nicaragua's become even more autocratic this year, and recent blackouts in Cuba illustrate how difficult living there is for many.Marina E. Franco (Noticias Telemundo for Axios), Axios, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Cortland sawing off his own arm and serving it to his tyrannical father — that’s pretty straightforward.Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2025
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The original Caligari, in which a mysterious doctor and his fortune-telling somnambulist commit a series of murders and drive two young people to madness, is often regarded as a critique of Germans’ blind obedience to tyrannical authority during the First World War.Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Kim added that the pursuit of individualism in Korea coexists with a sense of community, rooted in Confucian values, and a collective yearning for freedom stemming from Japanese occupation and dictatorial regimes.Hanna Park, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
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These are features and not bugs: Spreading fear is the essence of the dictatorial system.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near despotic
Cite this Entry
“Despotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotic. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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