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 In one of the climactic scenes of the film, Blyth has to sell Coriolanus Snow’s transformation that would later define Donald Sutherland’s tyrannical version of the character, and Lawrence remains in awe of what the young actor accomplished with minimal dialogue. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023 During the 10th Hunger Games, a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth as the eventual tyrannical president of Panem) takes the spotlight as he is chosen to mentor an impoverished tribute named Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler). Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023 The new movie follows an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow (played by Donald Sutherland in the original series and in the new film by Tom Blyth), who would eventually rise to become the tyrannical president of Panem. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 15 Nov. 2023 Ingvar Sigurdsson plays Kora's friend Hagen, and Ed Skrein plays Admiral Atticus Noble, right hand to the tyrannical Regent. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 Nov. 2023 His utopian vision of theater was founded (and marred) by tyrannical tendencies. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023 Per the official premise: Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2023 She’s given the task of finding warriors who can fend off an impending invasion by a tyrannical despot. Zack Sharf, Variety, 7 Nov. 2023 Anorexia had become a tyrannical force in Karen’s psyche, telling her that food was an enemy to be fought. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2023 See More

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 1 Dec. 2023.

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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