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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This recent New York Times piece highlights some of the harsh realities along with the misperceptions.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump has launched harsh immigration actions in his first 100 days in office—detaining more people for immigration violations, allowing arrests outside schools and courthouses, and sending more than 200 Venezuelan men to be imprisoned in El Salvador.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This high school student completed a brutal swim across New Zealand's 13.67-mile Cook Strait 02:16 CNN — Maya Merhige eventually stopped counting her jellyfish stings, such was the frequency with which they were getting scorched against her skin.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
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The Cleveland Browns finally stopped the brutal NFL draft slide of quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There’s an undercurrent of electricity between her and the ruthless cartel leader (Salma Hayek) using her as a bargaining chip, but Stone is too cowardly to let the hotties smooch, squandering the only energy Lively was able to muster for this potent strain of mess.—
Lizzie Logan,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
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To his critics, his centralization of power and ruthless purge of opponents put Malaysia on an authoritarian trajectory.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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However, because ecocriticism emerged in American studies prior to the field’s transnational turn, during a time that emphasized the localized subject as resistance to an oppressive nation-state, ecocritical thought has struggled to adapt.—
Abby Clayton,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Apr. 2025
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And this immensely oppressive power threatens the very foundation of legal representation in our country.—
Tom Dreisbach,
NPR,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This dynamic has created a cruel catch-22 which forces an impossible choice: register and risk immediate deportation, or refuse and become criminalized for noncompliance, destroying any path to legal status.—
Kica Matos,
Time,
2 May 2025
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Milano’s extensive medical history sometimes feels too cruel to detail; his only full season came as a rookie in 2017.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Draconian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draconian. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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