jackbooted

adjective jack·boot·ed \ ˈjak-ˌbü-təd \

Updated on: 31 Mar 2018

Definition of jackbooted

1 : wearing jackboots

2 : ruthlessly and violently oppressive

jackbooted force

Recent Examples of jackbooted from the Web

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, "Stormy Daniels interview takes us to new level of shame in the Land of Trump," 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, "'The Antelope Party': We live in a world where 'bronies' can be radicalized," 31 Jan. 2018
Was Rizzo a jackbooted tyrant who went out of his way to punish blacks and gays?

— david gambacorta, Philly.com, "Was Frank Rizzo racist, or a product of his time?," 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, "As Migrants Face Abuse, Fear That ‘Brexit’ Has Given License to Xenophobia," 27 June 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jackbooted.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.