Synonyms of misrule

misrule 1 of 2

noun

as in anarchy

a state in which there is widespread wrongdoing and disregard for rules and authority

the country's long period of misrule left it in economic turmoil for over a decade

Synonyms & Similar Words

• anarchy
• chaos
• unrest
• lawlessness
• turmoil
• strife
• upheaval
• turbulence
• havoc
• disruption
• confusion
• disorder
• riot
• rebellion
• disorganization
• disarray
• commotion
• anarchism
• revolution
• uprising
• criminality
• mutiny
• disturbance
• tumult
• disorderliness
• outlawry
• uproar
• misorder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• law
• rule
• legitimacy
• lawfulness
• legality
• peace
• harmony
• tranquility
• law-abidingness
• order
• calmness
• orderliness
• peacefulness
• quiet
• peaceableness

misrule

2 of 2

verb

ˌmis-ˈrül 

as in to misconduct

to manage badly

accused of misruling his island nation to the point of economic collapse

Synonyms & Similar Words

• misconduct
• abuse
• misgovern
• damage
• mismanage
• violate
• maladminister
• misuse
• mishandle
• mistreat
• maltreat
• harm
• hurt
• ill-use
• ill-treat
• bungle
• botch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• husband
• rule
• govern
• manage
• handle
• care (for)
• protect
• aid
• help
• nurture
• rescue

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of misrule

Noun

But, after decades of misrule, the PA is wildly unpopular among Palestinians themselves. — Ilan Berman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

His regime’s misrule, combined with its alliance with transnational criminal organizations, has destabilized the entire region. — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025

Verb

The result is a society that feels both rule-bound and misruled, saturated with laws and yet strangely lawless. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025

Congo had been brutally misruled by Belgium for over 70 years when the winds of change blew through in the late 1950s. — Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2023