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

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

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

Waleed Zuaiter’s Saddam suggests how charismatic a genocidal despot might be.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 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

“We love, we can, we’ll win” became the slogan of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s 2020 challenge to the Belarusian despot Alexander Lukashenko.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2024

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

The papar risked their lives—and lost them in untold droves-r- not in the pursuit of wealth or personal glory or to claim new lands in the name of any despot.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

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

Some find him to be a joke, while minor and major despots look upon him in a combination of wonder and fellowship.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2025

Even Amnesty International, the human rights watchdog best known for standing up to despots and criminal regimes, has issued warnings about the dangers of traveling to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 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

Related Words

• autocrat
• oppressor
• tyrant