as in harsh
formal + disapproving
unnecessarily strict or severe
The editorial criticizes the draconian measures being taken to control the spread of the disease. draconian punishments
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of draconian
Despite Idaho having some of the most draconian cannabis laws in the United States, where possession of even small amounts is a misdemeanor, public sentiment is becoming increasingly favorable toward medical cannabis.
—
Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Barring teens from that experience is draconian and would be an admission of failure rather than a show of strength.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
As the first Republican candidate to win the poorest third of Americans since the 1960s, President Trump's own voters would be disproportionately denied access to care from these draconian cuts.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Boyer levied draconian taxes in order to pay back the loans.
—Marlene L. Daut, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Barring teens from that experience is draconian and would be an admission of failure rather than a show of strength.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
As the first Republican candidate to win the poorest third of Americans since the 1960s, President Trump's own voters would be disproportionately denied access to care from these draconian cuts.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Boyer levied draconian taxes in order to pay back the loans.
—Marlene L. Daut, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draconian
Adjective
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So, designing the model's apparent personality to be positive and supportive makes sense—people are less likely to use an AI that comes off as harsh or dismissive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
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Vietnamese refugees who got a warm welcome from America puzzle at family separations, harsh rhetoric In Vietnam, Lam had owned three companies.—
Anh Do,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But graduating in 2009 meant stepping into a brutal job market during the Great Recession.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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At times brutal and always volatile, the album functions as a sort of electro-shock therapy applied from the shoulders down, layering hard beats, ambient whorls, and nervous acid ticks to trigger a state of full-body rapture.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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O’Neil had shown a more ruthless streak in dealing with Lemina, stripping the midfielder of the captaincy after those embarrassing post-match scenes at West Ham.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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There is the ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and his mysterious assistant Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Collector is also hoping these will satiate the growing wants of his oppressive overlord, The Forger (Roddy Ricch), who has mysterious motives of his own.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2025
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The current war in Sudan involves civil strife and shifting allegiances, in which one oppressive regime was toppled by a coalition, which then turned in on itself, leading to an even more vicious war.—
Lawrence D. Freedman,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Such evidence could support the view that incessant loud noise amounts to torture or cruel treatment towards cetaceans, in turn galvanizing support for a new right to be free from such harm.—
David Gruber,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
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But this is the cruel and unreasonable state of this Administration's deportation policy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Draconian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draconian. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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