tyrannical

[ ti-ran-i-kuhl, tahy- ]
See synonyms for: tyrannicaltyrannically on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. of or characteristic of a tyrant.

  2. unjustly cruel, harsh, or severe; arbitrary or oppressive; despotic: a tyrannical ruler.

Origin of tyrannical

1
1530–40; <Latin tyrannic(us) (<Greek tyrannikós, equivalent to týrann(os) tyrant + -ikos-ic) + -al1
  • Sometimes ty·ran·nic .

Other words for tyrannical

Other words from tyrannical

  • ty·ran·ni·cal·ly, adverb
  • ty·ran·ni·cal·ness, noun
  • non·ty·ran·nic, adjective
  • non·ty·ran·ni·cal, adjective
  • non·ty·ran·ni·cal·ly, adverb
  • non·ty·ran·ni·cal·ness, noun
  • pre·ty·ran·ni·cal, adjective
  • qua·si-ty·ran·ni·cal, adjective
  • qua·si-ty·ran·ni·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·ty·ran·nic, adjective
  • un·ty·ran·ni·cal, adjective
  • un·ty·ran·ni·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby tyrannical

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tyrannical in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tyrannical

tyrannical

tyrannic (tɪˈrænɪk)

/ (tɪˈrænɪkəl) /


adjective
  1. characteristic of or relating to a tyrant or to tyranny; oppressive

Derived forms of tyrannical

  • tyrannically, adverb
  • tyrannicalness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012