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 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
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Recent Examples of tyrannical
Many Syrians kept their heads down under the tyrannical reign of the Assad dynasty for more than half a century.
—
Tala Alrajjal, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
Players land on the planet Kairos, which is being ruled by a tyrannical dictator called the Timekeeper.
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Fox reclaims the notorious lady-in-waiting from centuries of scandal, revealing a sharp-witted, politically savvy woman caught in the tyrannical court of Henry VIII.
—Phillipa Gregory, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Once stuck in the past, Ji-yeon must use her culinary prowess to stay alive under the notoriously tyrannical rule of King Lee Heon (Hierarchy’s Lee Chae-min).
—Kayti Burt, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Tala Alrajjal, CNN Money, 8 Dec. 2025
Players land on the planet Kairos, which is being ruled by a tyrannical dictator called the Timekeeper.
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
Fox reclaims the notorious lady-in-waiting from centuries of scandal, revealing a sharp-witted, politically savvy woman caught in the tyrannical court of Henry VIII.
—Phillipa Gregory, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Once stuck in the past, Ji-yeon must use her culinary prowess to stay alive under the notoriously tyrannical rule of King Lee Heon (Hierarchy’s Lee Chae-min).
—Kayti Burt, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
Adjective
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The proud and courageous Iranian people are rising up against the tyrannical, despotic and oppressive regime that imposed its vicious rule in 1979 and has governed by fear and murder ever since.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Their writing focuses on identity and the intersections of mental health and oppressive systems.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Seizures of National Park protected land, destruction of our White House, massive banners of his photo draped on the Department of Labor and USDA buildings — please tell me how Trump’s authoritarian actions are any different from Vladimir Putin or Saddam Hussein?—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
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Yet the president told The New York Times on Wednesday that US oversight of Venezuela could last for years, following its toppling of the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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As anyone who has tried can attest, building anything these days, whether a house or a commercial project, requires navigating a complex labyrinth of regulations, enduring a long and grueling and extremely costly, and often arbitrary, multilayered approval, review, and permitting process.—
Lee Steinhauer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
International organizations have said Israel’s rules are arbitrary and could endanger staff.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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That premonition rings true when his parents (Tara Buckman, Geoff Hansen) are slaughtered by a carjacker dressed as Old Saint Nick himself (Charles Dierkop) just hours later, condemning the toddler into further moral compass trauma at an orphanage run by a domineering Mother Superior nun from Hell.—
Huntley Woods,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
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Orgon’s only ally is his domineering parade float of a mother, Madame Pernelle (the Bianca del Rio), who sails onto the stage in high dudgeon at the top of the play.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Iran's autocratic regime has quashed several previous waves of unrest, violently, and the source in Tehran told CBS News there was significant fear among many people that the current protests would draw a similar draconian crackdown.—
Tucker Reals,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Javier Corrales, an expert on Venezuelan politics, tells Isaac Chotiner about the autocratic methods that Maduro used to maintain power, and what might happen to the regime in his absence.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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A lot of people who are that level of arrogant, there’s also an immense insecurity, right?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The boy is arrogant, Helen thinks.—
Sadia Shepard,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Soon, Venezuelan Jews joined others in the country in growing sharply concerned about a crackdown on civil liberties, the worsening economy and Chávez’s praise for despotic leaders such as Saddam Hussein.—
Larry Luxner,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
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Cortinas’ efforts for the government to reveal the truth about her son’s whereabouts sparked the Madres de Plaza de Mayo movement, where the mothers of revolutionaries protested and pressured the despotic government for information about their missing children.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Maduro made it to the Presidency because of a decision by Hugo Chávez, a very popular and populist President who became semi-dictatorial.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
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International election watchdogs, including the United States, say Maduro manipulated the ballot results in order to steal a third term in office and continue his dictatorial reign.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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