tyrannical

adjective

ty·​ran·​ni·​cal tə-ˈra-ni-kəl How to pronounce tyrannical (audio)
tī-
variants or less commonly tyrannic
: being or characteristic of a tyrant or tyranny : despotic
tyrannical rule
a tyrannical ruler
tyrannically adverb
tyrannicalness noun

Examples of tyrannical in a Sentence

Everyone was afraid of their overbearing and tyrannical boss. a tyrannical ruler whose terrible reign was marked by unceasing violence
Recent Examples on the Web That rhetoric has not faded almost two years later, with Ukraine’s leaders and backers championing Kyiv as a bulwark for the free world against a tyrannical menace that knows no bounds. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Ricki, in 2024, has left her job at her tyrannical family’s chain of funeral parlors and started a flower shop in a Harlem brownstone. Olivia Waite, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2024 Since October 2023, Biden has rightly framed the Israel-Hamas war as a struggle between a flawed democracy and a tyrannical enemy seeking its destruction. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 The right to bear arms against a tyrannical government is a fundamental right. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 Ingvar Sigurdsson plays Kora's friend Hagen, and Ed Skrein plays Admiral Atticus Noble, right hand to the tyrannical Regent. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2024 Then the project changed again, back to a feature, this time with an almost 200-page script about a group of outlaws and peasants led by a fearless female protagonist who rise up to protect their peaceful moon settlement from a tyrannical regent. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Nov. 2023 To try and raise someone’s consciousness too much is just as tyrannical as trying to hold it down. Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 13 Nov. 2023 The film stars Sofia Boutella as a former soldier who has to recruit warriors from across the galaxy in order to fend off the tyrannical Imperium. Zack Sharf, Variety, 26 Dec. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin tyrannicus, from Greek tyrannikos, from tyrannos tyrant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tyrannical was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tyrannical

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

tyrannical

adjective
ty·​ran·​ni·​cal tə-ˈran-i-kəl How to pronounce tyrannical (audio)
tī-
variants also tyrannic
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a tyrant or tyranny
a tyrannical ruler
tyrannical rule
tyrannically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on tyrannical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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