despotic

adjective

de-ˈspä-tik How to pronounce despotic (audio)
Definition of despoticnext
1
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others a nation ruled by a series of despotic rulers, each seemingly worse than the last

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around the despotic coach demands that his players obey him without question

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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 despotic That seems to me to be an absolutely clear point, that only despotic regimes do that stuff. — Katie Drummond, Wired News, 19 May 2026 The Academy rules work for countries with democratic governments but not for countries with despotic regimes. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 4 May 2026 Possibly to a way of life that not only survives many kinds of precarity—cruel weather, scanty income, a despotic army—but that even molds itself to them. — Samanth Subramanian, New Yorker, 2 May 2026 Hard to Be a God is about a planet that has not been allowed to advance beyond the Middle Ages, and descended into a filthy, despotic, and violent world. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for despotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despotic
  1. oppressive
  2. authoritarian
  3. arbitrary
  4. domineering
  5. autocratic
  6. arrogant
  7. tyrannical
  8. dictatorial
Adjective
  • However, a time has come where the weight of those dreams and ambitions has become surprisingly oppressive.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026
  • About the jail conditions The Sunday afternoon heat surrounding volunteers contrasts with what detainees describe as an oppressive cold inside.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 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
  • Will stars in the film as Phil Weston, an unremarkable family man who grew up under the thumb of his domineering dad, Buck (Robert Duvall).
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a little too farcical for the moment, and the final cut lands more in a place of domineering intrigue.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
Definition of domineering
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
  • As such, there is a tendency among such countries to view Europeans as arrogant and self-serving, perhaps even neo-colonialist, with a desire to at least maintain, or maybe even strengthen, their position of power.
    — Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • James, Lord Dalhousie, the arrogant and ruthless Governor General of British India, who had long coveted the riches of Punjab and the Koh-i-Noor, was triumphant.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogant
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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Despotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despotic. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of despotic for Spanish Speakers

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