tyrant

American  

[tahy-ruhnt] / ˈtaɪ rənt /

noun

1. a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly.

   Synonyms:

   dictator, autocrat, despot

2. any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically.

3. a tyrannical or compulsory influence.

4. an absolute ruler, especially one in ancient Greece or Sicily.

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tyrant British  

/ ˈtaɪrənt /

noun

1. a person who governs oppressively, unjustly, and arbitrarily; despot

2. any person who exercises authority in a tyrannical manner

3. anything that exercises tyrannical influence

4. (esp in ancient Greece) a ruler whose authority lacked the sanction of law or custom; usurper

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Other Word Forms

• undertyrant
  noun

Etymology

Origin of tyrant

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English tirant, from Old French, earlier tiran (with the addition of t by association with -ant ( def. ) ), from Latin tyrannus, from Greek týrannos, of uncertain origin, perhaps Anatolian

Explanation

If you accuse your parents of being tyrants, you are saying they abuse their control of you — they are cruel, overly restrictive of your freedoms, and unfair. A tyrant is a ruler who is cruel and unjust. Here's an idea for a game: list all the tyrants in history and vote for the worst tyrant of all time. Don't limit yourself to 20th or 21st century ones like Hitler and Stalin and Saddam Hussein. Maybe put Attila the Hun on your list. You could also name a few minor tyrants in your life, such as your boss or another person with unreasonable demands.

Example Sentences

Mr. Romm, professor of classics at Bard College, is the author of “Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece’s Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

Patrick Tyrant told BBC Sport it would be the most "Spursy" thing ever if his team beat Manchester City to "hand Arsenal the league" and "still finished fifth."

From BBC • May 14, 2024

In release notes, Tobin explained that he built the Only Child Tyrant tracks as a kind of diversion “over a period of time between things I may well have been overthinking.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2019

He wrote this wonderful book, "Tyrant," about Shakespeare's tyrants and how they relate to the Trump era.

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2019

The Woman, whom Heaven sent as a Relief, To ease the Burden of a tedious Life, And be enjoy'd when summon'd by Desire, Is now become the Tyrant of our Fates.

From The Perjur'd Husband by Centlivre, Susanna

Related Words

• autocrat
• bully
• despot
• dictator
• oppressor