TYRANNOUS Synonyms: 102 Similar and Opposite Words

tyrannous

adjective

ˈtir-ə-nəs

Definition of tyrannous

as in oppressive

exercising power or authority without interference by others studied the tyrannous rule of Stalin, communist dictator of the Soviet Union

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in authoritarian

fond of ordering people around my older sister is a tyrannous bore who isn't happy unless she's in charge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 tyrannous These tyrannous tabbies don’t understand that canning is not exclusively for wet food. — Julie Klausner, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024 The same study posited that Fela was not the only popular musician who confronted the military and tyrannous leaders of Nigeria between independence in 1960 and Fela’s passing in 1997. — Garhe Osiebe, Quartz Africa, 21 Feb. 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannous

Adjective

Casablanca is another clear reference point for an episode in which a café serves as a locus of intrigue for a resistance group fighting against oppressive invaders.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Airport ground crews in hot climates can be exposed to oppressive heat, and airlines must protect their health.

— Emma Balleste, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

As Bukele gained popularity, there were internal discussions on how best to signal the Administration’s concerns about his increasingly authoritarian actions.

— Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026
The island’s very existence—a prosperous, democratic Chinese society integrated with the West—offers a stinging rebuke to the claim that authoritarian rule is uniquely suited to the Chinese people.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of authoritarian

Adjective

Its attempts to do so, most notably by interweaving elements of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz — including a CGI lion voiced by Colman Domingo — are heavy-handed acts of fan service that feel arbitrary.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026
Indeed, the representatives of that Government assert that the people of Hawaii are unfit for popular government and frankly avow that they can be best ruled by arbitrary or despotic power.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of arbitrary

Adjective

Will stars in the film as Phil Weston, an unremarkable family man who grew up under the thumb of his domineering dad, Buck (Robert Duvall).

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
That’s a little too farcical for the moment, and the final cut lands more in a place of domineering intrigue.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026

Definition of domineering

Adjective

That goes double for The Devil Wears Prada’s tyrannical Miranda Priestly, in which Streep turns an icy glare into a weapon tantamount to Leatherface’s chainsaw.

— Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Ayatollah Khomeini portrayed the shah as the tyrannical Yazid and himself as a Husayn-like figure returning from exile to save the Iranian people from injustice.

— Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 31 July 2026

Definition of tyrannical

Adjective

As such, there is a tendency among such countries to view Europeans as arrogant and self-serving, perhaps even neo-colonialist, with a desire to at least maintain, or maybe even strengthen, their position of power.

— Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
James, Lord Dalhousie, the arrogant and ruthless Governor General of British India, who had long coveted the riches of Punjab and the Koh-i-Noor, was triumphant.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrogant

Adjective

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
Indeed, the representatives of that Government assert that the people of Hawaii are unfit for popular government and frankly avow that they can be best ruled by arbitrary or despotic power.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of despotic

Adjective

Increasing the stakes is Florida’s connection to Latin America, given that many expats settled in the state after fleeing autocratic leftist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
For the United States, that means encouraging reform, including human rights protections, and calling off the bargain that has allowed autocratic allies to get away with grievous repression.

— MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of autocratic

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tyrannizing

tyrannous

tyranny

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“Tyrannous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannous. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tyrannous

adjective

Example Sentences

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