tyranny
Americannoun
PLURAL
tyrannies-
arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority.
- Synonyms:
- dictatorship , absolutism , despotism
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the government or rule of a tyrant or absolute ruler.
-
a state ruled by a tyrant or absolute ruler.
-
oppressive or unjustly severe government on the part of any ruler.
-
undue severity or harshness.
-
a cruel or harsh act or proceeding; an arbitrary, oppressive, or tyrannical action.
noun
-
-
government by a tyrant or tyrants; despotism
-
similarly oppressive and unjust government by more than one person
-
-
arbitrary, unreasonable, or despotic behaviour or use of authority
the teacher's tyranny
-
any harsh discipline or oppression
the tyranny of the clock
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a political unit ruled by a tyrant
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(esp in ancient Greece) government by a usurper
-
a tyrannical act
Other Word Forms
- tyrannous adjective
- tyrannously adverb
- tyrannousness noun
Etymology
Origin of tyranny
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English tyrannie, from Old French, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, equivalent to Latin tyrann(us) “oppressive ruler” + -ia noun suffix; tyrant, -y 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was an early example of Americans’ resentment of English tyranny, presaging the anger that would erupt into the Revolutionary War in the next century.
He accused Fed leadership of “defending its mistakes instead of correcting them” and said the institution had fallen victim to “the tyranny of the status quo.”
From Barron's
They appear stuck in what Milton Friedman called “the tyranny of the status quo.”
“His commitment to protecting the principle of open dialogue and opposing tyranny has been a significant impact on our nation’s conversation.”
From Los Angeles Times
“For generations,” he said, “Miami has been a haven for those fleeing communist tyranny in South Africa.”
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
