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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in domineering
fond of ordering people around
even when he was still a toddler, he tended to be a tyrannical playmate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tyrannical
The most unpopular president this century is dictating tyrannical violations of the U.S. Constitution.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
The forthcoming Sunrise on the Reaping follows Collins' fourth book The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which explored the early world of Coriolanus Snow — who later went on to become the infamous, tyrannical president of Panem.
—Staff Author, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025
King Saran Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) will portray the tyrannical king who is also Amari and Inan's father.
—EW.com, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
The forthcoming Sunrise on the Reaping follows Collins' fourth book The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which explored the early world of Coriolanus Snow — who later went on to become the infamous, tyrannical president of Panem.
—Staff Author, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025
King Saran Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) will portray the tyrannical king who is also Amari and Inan's father.
—EW.com, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
Adjective
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The triangle was turned right-side-up to show that gay people were standing up to oppressive forces.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
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My parents came here from Syria, carrying their stories of the oppressive regime there that made life unlivable.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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All the while, his domineering mother Bunny (played by the late Frances Sternhagen) is determined to stay the number one woman in her son's life.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
8 Mar. 2025
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Since then, he’s portrayed a colorful collection of characters, from a domineering theater owner in Shakespeare in Love to Pirates of the Caribbean’s villain turned hero, Captain Hector Barbossa.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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They are also seen as sharing a joint interest in diminishing the role of the U.S. and other liberal democracies in determining world events in favor of their own highly authoritarian systems.—
Christopher Bodeen,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
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In this way, democratic parenting is markedly different from both permissive parenting and authoritarian parenting.—
Miranda Rake,
Parents,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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From Broderick Turner: James Harden was masterful in pouring in 50 points for a Clippers team that once again has endured a slew of injuries at the most inopportune time.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
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Three members of the ‘Crab Five’ delivered the flavor Queen, the freshman from Baltimore, was masterful in the second half for Maryland, scoring 13 of his points in the period.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Furthermore, although Washington has conceived of its autocratic adversaries as a cohesive unit, almost all their cooperation has been through bilateral channels.—
Christopher S. Chivvis,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Mar. 2025
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Ukraine may not be a beacon of democracy, but today's Russian government is the definition of an autocratic regime.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Hip-hop regenerates constantly, and yet there has been an almost despotic grip on the throne(s) for some time.—
Jon Caramanica,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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The notion that these companies were sovereign enclaves of pitilessly despotic geniuses is a myth of recent vintage.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
The New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The user is urged to visit a website and pay an arbitrary toll amount to avoid a $50 fine.—
Dan Avery,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2025
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His morning rants and arbitrary policies only harm the economy.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Don’t let your passion or ego be dictatorial in setting business and product parameters and goals.—
Martin Zwilling,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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Thank you for taking a stand against our dictatorial president. — John Duffy, Elgin Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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