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
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 draconian
Magyar’s focus on the economy means reform of Hungary’s draconian anti-LGBTQ+ laws, which currently includes the banning of Pride marches and fines for promoting homosexuality in schools, may not be a priority.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Several cities, including Chicago, Toronto and San Francisco, have already instituted bans; Glendale is, as Long Beach recently did, taking a less draconian approach, putting the robots on pause while city officials figure out a regulatory framework.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
The difference is that those calamities were largely external shocks, as with the Iranian attacks, while censorship and draconian arrests are entirely self-made and self-defeating.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 1 Apr. 2026
In 2020 with the start of the coronavirus pandemic, North Korea banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely curtailed border traffic in one of the world’s most draconian COVID-19 restrictions.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Several cities, including Chicago, Toronto and San Francisco, have already instituted bans; Glendale is, as Long Beach recently did, taking a less draconian approach, putting the robots on pause while city officials figure out a regulatory framework.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
The difference is that those calamities were largely external shocks, as with the Iranian attacks, while censorship and draconian arrests are entirely self-made and self-defeating.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 1 Apr. 2026
In 2020 with the start of the coronavirus pandemic, North Korea banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely curtailed border traffic in one of the world’s most draconian COVID-19 restrictions.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draconian
Adjective
-
The scheme has been so successful, law enforcement has created a joint FBI-National Security Division task force to disrupt the operations and have dealt a series of harsh prison terms to American accomplices who have willingly aided the North Koreans.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
-
To fully embody her OnlyFans persona, an earthside alien named The Hungry Ghost, who offers mild nudity and harsh criticism of her willing subscribers’ genitalia.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The traditional studio model already faces immense pressure from fragmented audiences, rising production costs, declining television economics and an increasingly brutal streaming market.—
Joseph M. Singer,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
About 150 cops were hospitalized after brutal beatings by those criminal rioters.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
When a ruthless despot steals a billion-dollar fortune, the team is sent to steal it back on what would be for anyone else a suicide mission.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
Assayas offers anecdotes, a feuilleton of tyranny in which the foibles of the mighty and the ruthless reveal the sentimental side of cruelty, the amusement value of ugly deeds, and the polite side of monstrous ideas.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Beyond its pleasures as a noir, the chronicle of Kolechko’s fight against nascent Soviet power easily reminds one of present-day Ukraine’s struggle to preserve its dignity in the face of oppressive forces.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
But the sweltering, sticky, oppressive facepalm of summer doesn’t make the other seasons more palatable.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the late '90s and early '00s, Pamela Anderson became a tabloid fixture who was frequently the butt of cruel jokes alongside many other female celebrities of the era.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
-
But fate, cruel and sudden, had other ideas.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Draconian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draconian. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
