despot

American  

[des-puht, -pot] / ˈdɛs pət, -pɒt /

noun

• despots
  plural

1. a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; autocrat.

2. any tyrant or oppressor.

3. History/Historical. an honorary title applied to a Byzantine emperor, afterward to members of his family, and later to Byzantine vassal rulers and governors.

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despot British  

/ ˈdɛspɒt /

noun

1. an absolute or tyrannical ruler; autocrat or tyrant

2. any person in power who acts tyrannically

3. a title borne by numerous persons of rank in the later Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires

   the despot of Servia

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• despotic
  adjective
• despotically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• despots
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of despot

1555–65; < Greek despótēs master < *dems-pot- presumably, “master of the house,” equivalent to *dems-, akin to dómos house + pot-, base of pósis husband, spouse; cf. hospodar, host ¹

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Explanation

A despot, is a cruel, all-controlling ruler. For example, a despot does not allow people to speak out against the leadership, nor really want them to have much freedom at all. The word despot came into English in the sixteenth century from Old French, but it traces all the way back to the Greek word despotes, meaning "master of a household, lord, absolute ruler." The word is often used to describe someone who abuses power and oppresses others. Obviously, it's not a nice thing to call someone, especially within earshot of the despot who has absolute power over you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

despot despots

But the 184-page decision that American lawmakers made public shows the commission acting like a petty despot, with little if any regard for due process.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has replaced three top officials in charge of his personal security, Seoul said Tuesday, a sign the despot may increasingly fear assassination plots.

From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026

Simmons, who plays the film’s jazz conservatory despot, Fletcher.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2025

By portraying Moses as an antidemocratic despot, Caro understates the extent to which his actions reflected the mainstream political thinking of the time.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2024

My new nurse is an unsmiling despot with a nursing degree.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

Whitewashing or altering them because of the sins of their subjects is out of the playbook of despots who erase history or twist it to suit modern-day needs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

We don’t like despots and dictators and monarchs or anything smacking of royalty.

From Slate ● Feb. 16, 2026

Mr. Loconte outlines how their belief in the God-given dignity of man set them at odds with foreign despots and those in England with similar political designs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

He doesn't seem to consider dictators and despots as his special friends which is a nice change.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2023

Willoughby was rare—his preference to remain behind the scenes implied the absence of vast personal conceit, a trait essential for two-penny despots.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

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Related Words

• autocrat
• oppressor
• tyrant

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