Synonyms of dictator

dictator

noun

ˈdik-ˌtā-tər 

as in tyrant

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

the dictator had a fierce stranglehold on the country, keeping its people in poverty and ignorance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dictator

Obviously, nobody lives like that today, but in ‘Growth of the Soil,’ nature is a dictator. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Suffering from severe financial inequality and oppressed by the yoke of dictators and oligarchs, the people rise up and storm the seat of government. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026

Before, the two forces had been allies, working together to crush rebellions in Darfur, but also pro-democracy movements that sprung up after the ouster of Sudanese dictator Omar Al-Bashir in 2019. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Its interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former al-Qa’eda militant who led the rebel offensive that overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, has been struggling to rebuild a nation devastated by almost 14 years of civil war. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026