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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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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Examples of tyrannical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
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Okla Jones, Essence, 9 July 2024
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 9 July 2024
The place is run by the tyrannical Cassandra Nova (The Crown’s Emma Corrin), who looks like the late Sinead O’Connor with all the sad vulnerability siphoned off and away.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 26 July 2024
The school is run by a tyrannical headmaster who shouldn’t be missed when his wife and mistress, a teacher at the school, join forces to plot his murder.
—Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for tyrannical 
Okla Jones, Essence, 9 July 2024
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 9 July 2024
The place is run by the tyrannical Cassandra Nova (The Crown’s Emma Corrin), who looks like the late Sinead O’Connor with all the sad vulnerability siphoned off and away.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 26 July 2024
The school is run by a tyrannical headmaster who shouldn’t be missed when his wife and mistress, a teacher at the school, join forces to plot his murder.
—Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for tyrannical
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tyrannical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.
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