variants
also tyrannic
1
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others
a tyrannical ruler whose terrible reign was marked by unceasing violence
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in domineering
fond of ordering people around
even when he was still a toddler, he tended to be a tyrannical playmate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tyrannical
That film focused on the 10th annual Hunger Games, which takes place decades before Snow becomes the tyrannical leader of Panem.
—
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
However, as Dunson’s leadership grows increasingly tyrannical, Matt is forced to challenge him, leading to an intense power struggle on the open frontier.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
And what can today’s resistance movements facing tyrannical regimes learn from their success?
—John Blake, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
Howard plays himself as a tyrannical auteur who petulantly refuses to cut a vacuous scene from his overlong thriller, warding off pleas only to change his mind at the moment of truth.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 Apr. 2025
However, as Dunson’s leadership grows increasingly tyrannical, Matt is forced to challenge him, leading to an intense power struggle on the open frontier.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
And what can today’s resistance movements facing tyrannical regimes learn from their success?
—John Blake, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2025
Howard plays himself as a tyrannical auteur who petulantly refuses to cut a vacuous scene from his overlong thriller, warding off pleas only to change his mind at the moment of truth.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
Adjective
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The decision to leave Iran was driven by the oppressive changes following the Iranian Revolution in 1979 concerning the treatment of women.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2025
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Companies that left were celebrated, those companies that did not join in divesting their interests in this oppressive regime were ostracised, and the South African government was dealt a measurable blow.—
Frank Altman,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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Despite his character's domineering presence, Morse told ScreenRant there's more than meets the eye.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
18 June 2025
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It was then put to Tuchel that the show’s host Adrian Durham has friends who think England would be better off without Bellingham in the team, referring to that domineering personality.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The Iranian state is a competitive authoritarian system with institutions that have evolved over a century.—
Narges Bajoghli,
Time,
19 June 2025
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The country is not like other countries that have had authoritarian histories.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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The Belgian master of minimalism and wabi-sabi forever changed the design of sofas, and his way with rough-hewn wood furniture and beams, pale linen, an earthy palette, and a masterful blending of East and West and antique and contemporary are now canonized among professionals.—
Amy Astley,
Architectural Digest,
25 June 2025
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Gill goes on to justify this support with a masterful century in front of a sell-out crowd on day one.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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This was the fantasy in 1953, when the CIA and the British intelligence overthrew Mohammad Mossadegh, Iran’s prime minister who had nationalized the country’s oil, and delivered Iran to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s autocratic rule.—
Narges Bajoghli,
Time,
19 June 2025
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Most Third World states, for example, that were born as democracies lapsed into dictatorships or became autocratic shortly after independence.—
ASHLEY J. TELLIS,
Foreign Affairs,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Napoleon, the pig who takes despotic control of the farm following the revolution — voiced with haughty gusto by Seth Rogen — bears an uncanny resemblance to the current occupant of the White House.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2025
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Bernal as a despotic and at times deluded Magellan persuades the Spanish Crown to fund his bold 16th century expedition to the fabled lands of the East, only to unleash a decade of devastation wreaked by European conquistadors in the Pacific as part of colonial conquests.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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This anecdote is a perfect snapshot of Jameela’s lifelong refusal to accept arbitrary rules.—
Mandeep Rai,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Choosing a side for the wall would have been arbitrary.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Even his former closest associates now acknowledge that his political efforts have not lasted more than a few weeks or at most a few months, due to his dictatorial approach.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
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Making a dictatorial decision could come back to haunt you as Mars and Uranus clash.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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