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
Relevance
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 dictator
The regime was badly shaken when, in January, Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro was captured by US forces in a surprise raid on Caracas.
—
The Week Uk, TheWeek, 31 May 2026
At a time when the United States had just abducted a Venezuelan dictator, was threatening Greenland, and was planning a war in Iran, a serious DNI would have had other priorities.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 28 May 2026
Dolan earned his reputation with a mix of poor team performance, uninspired front office hiring, and a reputation as a thin-skinned dictator, including banning former player Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden and using facial recognition technology to monitor fans.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Citizens routinely hide their true feelings and engage in preference falsification, which can lead to massive overestimation of a dictator’s actual support.
—Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictator
The Week Uk, TheWeek, 31 May 2026
At a time when the United States had just abducted a Venezuelan dictator, was threatening Greenland, and was planning a war in Iran, a serious DNI would have had other priorities.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 28 May 2026
Dolan earned his reputation with a mix of poor team performance, uninspired front office hiring, and a reputation as a thin-skinned dictator, including banning former player Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden and using facial recognition technology to monitor fans.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 28 May 2026
Citizens routinely hide their true feelings and engage in preference falsification, which can lead to massive overestimation of a dictator’s actual support.
—Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictator
tyrant
Noun
-
The American origin story is rooted in the notion that George III was its vanquished villain, an irrational tyrant who oppressed the American colonists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
If anything, the story during the semiquincentennial casts George as more of a whole person than the tyrant depicted in the ad hominem complaints peppered throughout the Declaration of Independence.—
Laurie Kellman,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictator. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
