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

Example Sentences

The author is a fan of this feminist hero but acknowledges that Rankin was a family tyrant with a short fuse.

From The Wall Street Journal

To mirror the real world, the Land of Sweets was not spared from an evil nutcracker tyrant.

From Los Angeles Times

But he was not a tyrant like some surgeons.

From The Wall Street Journal

Just thirty-four, Castro had overthrown a corrupt tyrant and seized control of Cuba less than two years before.

From Literature

In Europe, it was fought against Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler, a tyrant and true monster, and against Italy and Benito Mussolini, a clownish but vile Fascist.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• autocrat
• bully
• despot
• dictator
• oppressor