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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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 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 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 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
  • The combination was as oppressive as the thermometer reading.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro resigned Wednesday following an investigation into a complaint alleging the workplace culture under her leadership was oppressive, bullying and intimidating.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • The Fed's protective umbrella helps the dollar's appeal among global investors, who can't be fully confident that funds invested into authoritarian China can be safely taken out of the country.
    — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Soon after the photo was taken, pro-Chinese Communist Party activists there began assaulting protesters of Xi's authoritarian regime — though there is no evidence Zhang was involved in any attacks.
    — Adam Yamaguchi, CBS News, 6 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
  • 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
  • Despite the many obstacles to deployment, the technology is already bringing autocratic regimes the upsides of cheaper surveillance, smarter censorship, and fewer human subordinates to fear and distrust.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of autocratic
Adjective
  • Elon Musk — Ike Barinholtz has Musk wandering in from another movie, or dimension, a ramble-y, arrogant but ultimately comically non-threatening figure.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The loud-mouthed cameos from ex-soccer players Zlatan Ibrahimović and Eric Cantona in Nike’s World Cup hero film Rip the Script were indicative of this, chiming with an older, more arrogant vision of Nike seen in the ’90s and the aughts.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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