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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
even when he was still a toddler, he tended to be a tyrannical playmate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tyrannical
Advertisement The tax sparked fierce resistance, especially among western Pennsylvania farmers, who saw it as a sign of the federal government's tyrannical bent, and organized protests that escalated into the tarring and feathering of tax collectors.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026
Joaquin Phoenix's villainous performance as the tyrannical emperor Commodus earned him an Academy Award nomination.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
At the same time, the list of what a child needs has become exhaustive and tyrannical.
—Literary Hub, 5 May 2026
Beyond blood, these women are tied together by destiny and the decisions of the violent and tyrannical men surrounding them.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026
Joaquin Phoenix's villainous performance as the tyrannical emperor Commodus earned him an Academy Award nomination.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
At the same time, the list of what a child needs has become exhaustive and tyrannical.
—Literary Hub, 5 May 2026
Beyond blood, these women are tied together by destiny and the decisions of the violent and tyrannical men surrounding them.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
Adjective
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After the Boston Tea Party, the British government cracked down on the colonies with a series of oppressive laws known as the Intolerable Acts.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
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Outside the stadium, protesters clashed over Iran’s oppressive regime and its place in the tournament as players vowed to rise above politics and unite Iranians through soccer.—
Iliana Limón Romero,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Satrapi shows us that under authoritarian rule, exile is experienced not only in leaving home, but in the slow erosion of the self from within.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
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Building the capacity of governments, especially authoritarian ones, to manage migration and contain refugees is not an inherent global good.—
Kelsey Norman,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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The anniversary feels arbitrary to Tran, a math teacher.—
Terry Tang,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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And not simply the tariff policies, but the arbitrary on and off nature of them.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Musk’s company has inked lucrative AI deals with Anthropic and Google and plans to be the domineering firm behind orbital data centers, which SpaceX has said could be deployed as early as 2028.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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Many figures within evangelicalism have promoted an aggressive, domineering, even abusive view of manhood—affixing to it, as Du Mez argues, the label biblical.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Indeed, the King would later establish the Instrument of Foundation of the Royal Academy as a more autocratic counterpart.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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But there simply aren’t that many people who want an autocratic America.—
Matthew E.K. Hall,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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The two roles underline the actor’s formidable versatility, all skittish panic in the former and arrogant sociopathy in the other.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 June 2026
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Washington State’s beauty is almost arrogant in its expansiveness.—
C Pam Zhang,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The Academy rules work for countries with democratic governments but not for countries with despotic regimes.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
4 May 2026
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Hard to Be a God is about a planet that has not been allowed to advance beyond the Middle Ages, and descended into a filthy, despotic, and violent world.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As pointed out by Cox, Zagallo was only brought in as manager in the March of 1970 after his predecessor, Saldanha, had fallen out with Brazil’s dictatorial president Emilio Medici.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
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Yet, the courage and determination of lawyers who insist upon proper enforcement of the law, even in corrupt and dictatorial regimes, stand as their own form of powerful dissent.—
Irwin Cotler,
Time,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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