jackbooted

adjective

jack·​boot·​ed ˈjak-ˌbü-təd How to pronounce jackbooted (audio)
1
: wearing jackboots
2
: ruthlessly and violently oppressive
jackbooted force

Examples of jackbooted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Cooper was obsessed with the New World Order and the actions of jackbooted government enforcers against the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, and white separatist Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Andrew Stuttaford, WSJ, 19 Sep. 2018 Hungary under his rule is far from a jackbooted dictatorship, but its democracy is diverging markedly from that of many of its partners in the European Union. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2018 Likethumb_up Replyreply Linklink Copy Reportflag eraley 22 minutes ago Trump’s America and his jackbooted thugs. Marwa Eltagouri, Washington Post, 28 May 2018 These are the words and actions similar to low-level criminals in the mob or jackbooted followers of fascist leaders in 1930s Europe, not the president of the United States in 2018. David Zurawik, baltimoresun.com, 26 Mar. 2018 But what makes director Jeremy Wechsler’s production engaging throughout is the way the cast commits to these characters without turning them into caricatures of either obsessive-nerd culture or jackbooted thugs. Kerry Reid, chicagotribune.com, 31 Jan. 2018 Was Rizzo a jackbooted tyrant who went out of his way to punish blacks and gays? David Gambacorta, Philly.com, 22 Aug. 2017 For some, the racist taunts of the past few days recalled a time when jackbooted members of the far-right National Front taunted immigrants on the streets of Britain in the 1980s, during the painful deindustrialization of the Thatcher era. Dan Bilefsky, New York Times, 27 June 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jackbooted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jackbooted was in 1763

Dictionary Entries Near jackbooted

Cite this Entry

“Jackbooted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jackbooted. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on jackbooted

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!