tyrannical

adjective

tə-ˈra-ni-kəl How to pronounce tyrannical (audio)
variants also tyrannic
Definition of tyrannicalnext
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 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 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 tyrannical Women becoming doctors and professors know the difference between a free society and a tyrannical society. — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 Brownlee sang the title character, a tyrannical leader who spreads rumors of his death to discover if his sons are in love with his fiancée Aspasia. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026 Giamatti is Jerry, the tyrannical director billed, without irony, as the biggest name in New Jersey community theater. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026 The 2015 action film, set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, stars Theron as warrior Imperator Furiosa, who leads the daring escape of female prisoners from a tyrannical ruler. — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
  1. oppressive
  2. authoritarian
  3. arbitrary
  4. domineering
  5. autocratic
  6. arrogant
  7. despotic
  8. dictatorial
Adjective
  • Resident's death under investigation The Middlesex County District Attorney's office, as well as the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, are examining whether the oppressive heat played any role in the resident's death.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The combination was as oppressive as the thermometer reading.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • El Sistema was founded decades before Hugo Chavez came to power in a populist revolution that quickly turned authoritarian.
    — Max Feliu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • What readers are saying The comments express overwhelming disapproval and outrage over the idea of live-streaming a public execution, likening it to barbaric practices of authoritarian regimes and terrorist groups.
    — Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Adjective
  • But labor campaigners said in the statement that their wage demand wasn’t arbitrary.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The initiative has not yet produced a universal virtual cell capable of accurately predicting arbitrary biological responses.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of arbitrary
Adjective
  • Sources said Gunning plays Annie, a quietly dutiful wife who has sacrificed her ambitions to raise four sons under her domineering husband, Duncan.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Fern proves himself as a true actor’s director, offering plum roles to Paulson, Watts and two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest as their chaotic and domineering mother.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of domineering
Adjective
  • Political transitions are the midnight hour for all autocratic regimes.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Lampooning authority is even common in autocratic societies where governments spend large sums of money suppressing speech.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of autocratic
Adjective
  • Wright was known to be arrogant, and his self-importance is on full display here.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Georg, an unemployed auto mechanic, comes across as an arrogant jock.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Any transgression of new standards of speech and behavior could put someone at risk of social banishment, in the truly despotic shape of cancellation.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The comedy of errors that follows as Ina attempts to solve the nation’s problems, from traffic congestion to energy crisis, doubles as a critique of the despotic regime and the tumult of living in such hellish times.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of despotic
Adjective
  • Trump launched aggressive moves against the dictatorial regime of Nicolás Maduro last year.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Standing before her guards, the increasingly dictatorial ruler proclaims herself as the Chosen One to the people of King's Landing.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dictatorial

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Cite this Entry

“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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