CZARIST Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

czarist

adjective

variants also tsarist or tzarist

Definition of czarist

as in oppressive

exercising power or authority without interference by others the trustees felt that the university needed a strong, czarist leader who could propel it to world-class status

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of czarist In Russia, czarist monuments were replaced by statues of Communist leaders, which in turn were torn down — statues of Stalin also fell in Hungary, Georgia and Albania. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026 Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists. — Benjamin Nathans september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025 Since tsarist times, Russia has ensured Armenia’s loyalty by promising to defend it against the Ottoman Empire (and then against its successor, Turkey) with sustained military support. — Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for czarist

Adjective

Casablanca is another clear reference point for an episode in which a café serves as a locus of intrigue for a resistance group fighting against oppressive invaders.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Airport ground crews in hot climates can be exposed to oppressive heat, and airlines must protect their health.

— Emma Balleste, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

As Bukele gained popularity, there were internal discussions on how best to signal the Administration’s concerns about his increasingly authoritarian actions.

— Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026
The island’s very existence—a prosperous, democratic Chinese society integrated with the West—offers a stinging rebuke to the claim that authoritarian rule is uniquely suited to the Chinese people.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of authoritarian

Adjective

Its attempts to do so, most notably by interweaving elements of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz — including a CGI lion voiced by Colman Domingo — are heavy-handed acts of fan service that feel arbitrary.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026
Indeed, the representatives of that Government assert that the people of Hawaii are unfit for popular government and frankly avow that they can be best ruled by arbitrary or despotic power.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of arbitrary

Adjective

Increasing the stakes is Florida’s connection to Latin America, given that many expats settled in the state after fleeing autocratic leftist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
For the United States, that means encouraging reform, including human rights protections, and calling off the bargain that has allowed autocratic allies to get away with grievous repression.

— MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of autocratic

Adjective

The comedy of errors that follows as Ina attempts to solve the nation’s problems, from traffic congestion to energy crisis, doubles as a critique of the despotic regime and the tumult of living in such hellish times.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Indeed, the representatives of that Government assert that the people of Hawaii are unfit for popular government and frankly avow that they can be best ruled by arbitrary or despotic power.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of despotic

Adjective

That goes double for The Devil Wears Prada’s tyrannical Miranda Priestly, in which Streep turns an icy glare into a weapon tantamount to Leatherface’s chainsaw.

— Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Ayatollah Khomeini portrayed the shah as the tyrannical Yazid and himself as a Husayn-like figure returning from exile to save the Iranian people from injustice.

— Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 31 July 2026

Definition of tyrannical

Adjective

These tyrannous tabbies don’t understand that canning is not exclusively for wet food.

— Julie Klausner, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
The same study posited that Fela was not the only popular musician who confronted the military and tyrannous leaders of Nigeria between independence in 1960 and Fela’s passing in 1997.

— Garhe Osiebe, Quartz Africa, 21 Feb. 2021

Definition of tyrannous

Adjective

Standing before her guards, the increasingly dictatorial ruler proclaims herself as the Chosen One to the people of King's Landing.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
In 2024, Margo is hired to find the book that disappeared, along with many others, through the dictatorial years.

— The Know, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of dictatorial

Browse Nearby Words

czarism

czarist

czars

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Czarist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/czarist. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of czarist

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

august

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes