variants
also tyrannic
1
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others
a tyrannical ruler whose terrible reign was marked by unceasing violence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
even when he was still a toddler, he tended to be a tyrannical playmate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tyrannical
But an industry that went from celebrating a movie about an Iranian ogre kidnapping an American woman to movies about Iranian people themselves held hostage by a tyrannical state showed exactly why cinematic choices matter.
—
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
Yet the tyrannical impulse of authoritarian populists is the same across the world.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Given the tyrannical inferno that engulfed these precariously united states, my personal plights were mere embers, ashes, in the grand scheme of things.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
In the 1953 steel-seizure case, Jackson concluded with a warning about the importance of parliamentary deliberation to check a tyrannical executive.
—Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
Yet the tyrannical impulse of authoritarian populists is the same across the world.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Given the tyrannical inferno that engulfed these precariously united states, my personal plights were mere embers, ashes, in the grand scheme of things.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
In the 1953 steel-seizure case, Jackson concluded with a warning about the importance of parliamentary deliberation to check a tyrannical executive.
—Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
Adjective
-
The music was sufficiently groovy, the costumes era-appropriate (miniskirts, Travolta-tight slacks), yet nothing conjured the tension of an oppressive August day—and nobody broke a sweat.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Many observers, including Iranians in the diaspora, hoped for the collapse of the oppressive Islamic Republic of Iran and a decisive end to its nuclear program and military reach.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Organizers and protesters fear America is on a path toward authoritarian rule.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The President has, in ICE, a quasi-authoritarian force at his disposal.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What’s to blame for all these arbitrary governing principles?—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Black folks have seen the face of the US’s prerogative state—the side of the government that dispenses arbitrary jurisprudence, discriminatory law enforcement, and violence against those who challenge its authority and dominant ideologies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Netflix’s domineering presence, one that permeated every corner of a typically sacred day at the ballpark, had mercifully evaporated.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Wrapping production last October, Carrie is described as a reimagining of the story of misfit high schooler Carrie White, who has spent her life in seclusion with her domineering mother.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This means that filmmakers out of favor with autocratic regimes—including, in Iran, some of the nation’s greatest artists—don’t stand a chance, and some of the most notable recent Iranian films have been submitted by other countries.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Tens of thousands protested in Prague against populist Andrej Babiš’ new government, comparing it to increasingly autocratic Hungary and Slovakia.—
Karel Janicek,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The monarchist movement has not governed Iran since 1979, and its corrupt, despotic leader was overthrown in the revolution.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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My ability to complete Ballot during a genocide and despotic takeover hinged on confronting these uncomfortable truths.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Aggressive, a bit dictatorial’.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In 1933, the German Reichstag adopted the Enabling Act, which effectively granted Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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