tyrannical
adjective
ty·ran·ni·cal
tə-ˈra-ni-kəl 
tī-
variants
or less commonly tyrannic
tə-ˈra-nik
tī-
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
The citizens of Venezuela don't deserve to live under the tyrannical rule of Maduro or any of his henchmen!
—
Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
With Rome's descent under tyrannical rule, Lucius must step into the gladiatorial ring and fight like his father before him for survival.
—James Mercadante, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The over-the-top propaganda that leads the game off suggests the Earth Directorate is here to protect colonists from out-of-control corporations and tyrannical governments.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
Set in a small village in southern India, the absurdist comedy follows Ramasamy, a chilli farmer with an uncontrollable sneezing problem who must survive under a tyrannical zamindar who has banned sneezing under penalty of death.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
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Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
With Rome's descent under tyrannical rule, Lucius must step into the gladiatorial ring and fight like his father before him for survival.
—James Mercadante, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The over-the-top propaganda that leads the game off suggests the Earth Directorate is here to protect colonists from out-of-control corporations and tyrannical governments.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
Set in a small village in southern India, the absurdist comedy follows Ramasamy, a chilli farmer with an uncontrollable sneezing problem who must survive under a tyrannical zamindar who has banned sneezing under penalty of death.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyrannical. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tyrannical
adjective
ty·ran·ni·cal
tə-ˈran-i-kəl
tī-
variants
also tyrannic
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a tyrant or tyranny
a tyrannical ruler
tyrannical rule
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