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
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Recent Examples of tyrannical
And intrusion by Sacramento lawmakers is nothing short of tyrannical.
—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
Adjective
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Dealing with extreme heat in India, where oppressive temperatures have become a matter of routine in recent years, revealed another disconnect.
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The Shah was so corrupt and oppressive that the 1979 revolution was almost inevitable.
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.
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Building the capacity of governments, especially authoritarian ones, to manage migration and contain refugees is not an inherent global good.
Adjective
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For at least a decade, federal agents followed guidelines designed to prevent arbitrary civil immigration arrests of people at courthouses.
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Some media outlets, however, reported that some of those detained were politicians or activists, leading to allegations of arbitrary detentions.
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.
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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.
Adjective
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Indeed, the King would later establish the Instrument of Foundation of the Royal Academy as a more autocratic counterpart.
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But there simply aren’t that many people who want an autocratic America.
Adjective
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The passage is incoherent, yet, in conflating progressive reform with arrogant blind faith, it is perfectly suited to Vance’s cynical conservatism.
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To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else).
Adjective
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The pretence of an absolute, irresistible, despotic power, existing in every government somewhere, is incompatible with the first principle of natural right.
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The Academy rules work for countries with democratic governments but not for countries with despotic regimes.
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.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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