Synonyms of despot

despot

noun

ˈde-spət 

as in tyrant

a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way

the despot exiled political dissidents to remote labor camps, where they were left to rot

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tyrant
• dictator
• ruler
• pharaoh
• warlord
• strongman
• oppressor
• führer
• overlord
• man on horseback
• caesar
• tycoon
• autocrat
• prince
• leader
• king
• potentate
• authoritarian
• monarch
• totalitarian
• magnate
• baron
• tyrannizer
• boss
• caudillo
• sovereign
• dominator
• master
• queen
• czar
• chief
• lord
• paramount
• martinet
• Big Brother
• autarch
• mogul
• taskmaster
• kingpin
• captain
• disciplinarian
• monocrat
• enforcer
• discipliner

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of despot

Of all the despots in the region, the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was perhaps the most ruthless in crushing dissent. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

The paranoid despot is a familiar trope, in fairy tales and in fact. — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026

In that instance, the notorious Cold War-era Romanian despot was quickly executed (with his wife) by military top brass while his former elites went on to run things under a nominally democratic system. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

The invisible power of the unelected despots of data and tech lords must be diminished; if families cannot control the disaster of digital addiction, states will have to legislate for them. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

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