tyrannical

adjective

ty·​ran·​ni·​cal tə-ˈra-ni-kəl 

tī-

variants or less commonly tyrannic

tə-ˈra-nik 

tī-

: being or characteristic of a tyrant or tyranny : despotic

tyrannical rule

a tyrannical ruler

tyrannically

tə-ˈra-ni-k(ə-)lē 

tī-

adverb

tyrannicalness

tə-ˈra-ni-kəl-nəs 

tī-

noun

Synonyms of tyrannical

• oppressive
• arbitrary
• authoritarian
• autocratic
• despotic
• dictatorial

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

Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government. —Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026

Or the sight of an evil Jerry robot, puppeted by the consciousness of a tyrannical butterfly (Dave Franco), scampering, insect-like, around the fiery maelstrom of a rally gone awry. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 5 Mar. 2026

But an industry that went from celebrating a movie about an Iranian ogre kidnapping an American woman to movies about Iranian people themselves held hostage by a tyrannical state showed exactly why cinematic choices matter. —Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026

Yet the tyrannical impulse of authoritarian populists is the same across the world. —Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin tyrannicus, from Greek tyrannikos, from tyrannos tyrant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tyrannical

• botanical
• brahmanical
• mechanical
• biomechanical
• thermomechanical
• electromechanical
• panicle
• puritanical

Kids Definition

tyrannical

adjective

ty·​ran·​ni·​cal tə-ˈran-i-kəl 

tī-

variants also tyrannic

-ˈran-ik 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a tyrant or tyranny

a tyrannical ruler

tyrannical rule

tyrannically

-ˈran-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb