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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Recent Examples of draconian
The risk is that British politics goes the way of other large European countries like France, Germany, and Italy, where steadily more draconian policies and rhetoric have merely fed the flames of xenophobia and further boosted the political appeal of the extreme right.
—
Jonathan Portes, Time, 26 Aug. 2025
That being said, the news is filled with articles about schools in similar predicaments taking more draconian measures or even being forced to close.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2025
Argentina is still trying to recover investors’ confidence, even after President Javier Milei started making draconian free market reforms in 2024.
—Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2025
That measure, which polls say is very unpopular with voters, enacted draconian cuts to health care spending to bankroll tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Jonathan Portes, Time, 26 Aug. 2025
That being said, the news is filled with articles about schools in similar predicaments taking more draconian measures or even being forced to close.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2025
Argentina is still trying to recover investors’ confidence, even after President Javier Milei started making draconian free market reforms in 2024.
—Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2025
That measure, which polls say is very unpopular with voters, enacted draconian cuts to health care spending to bankroll tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draconian
Adjective
-
The once-beloved pastels will become harsh.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The pilgrimage, listed on the official calendar of jubilee events, comes as gay Catholics look to Pope Leo XIV to continue down the bold path of his predecessor to welcome into the church a group that has in the past faced alienation and sometimes harsh treatment.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Even for those in the North who didn’t care a damn for the four million held in brutal bondage, or those who wanted a soft, conciliatory approach, the war began to take on new and moral meaning.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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The trailer also showcases several brutal fights, an over-flowing oil emergency at the patch, a car accident, and Cami paying witness to two men taking down a third individual with their guns drawn.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Hunted by the ruthless crime boss that Don worked for and learned all the boss’s sinister secrets — Perlman plays him — Don has a reason to seek redemption.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Witness Alex Hales’ ruthless removal.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Related Stories Farrelly thinks that kind of oppressive political correctness is fading and that audiences are eager to see movies that eviscerate good taste in order to land a joke again.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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Pitted against the unforgettably evil Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a sadist who drugs and abuses the unlucky patients in her care, McMurphy’s stand against the oppressive powers that be is tragic and poignant and spoke to the spirit of a time in which so many felt misunderstood.—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Because of the cruel math of throughput and utilization, over ten days, only three hundred people experienced Blur.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Tamra was awful to Gretchen back then, culminating in the Naked Wasted Party, which was one of the cruelest things to ever happen on Housewives.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Draconian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draconian. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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