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View synonyms for tin god

tin god

[ tin god ]

noun

  1. a self-important, dictatorial person in a position of authority, such as an employer, military officer, critic, or teacher.
  2. a person who believes they are infallible and tries to impose judgments, beliefs, standards of behavior, etc., on subordinates.


tin god

noun

  1. a self-important dictatorial person
  2. a person erroneously regarded as holy or venerable
“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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of tin god1

First recorded in 1885–90
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Idioms and Phrases

A self-important, dictatorial, petty person who imposes ideas, beliefs, and standards on subordinates. For example, The officials in these small towns often act like tin gods . The tin in this expression alludes to the fact that tin is a base metal with relatively little value. [Late 1800s]
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Example Sentences

A little tin god has a pleasant time of it, no doubt, until the coming of the eighteen carat gold idol.

A week or two more and the "little tin god" would go down off his wheels.

"Oh, your little tin god on wheels is not the only one," replied Helena, the astute.

The Boss pirate was shot by me—a big six foot Northern Chinee, got up, to kill, like a tin god.

His prime predilection was Lamont, of whom, their mutual acquaintances were wont to pronounce, he made a little tin god on wheels.

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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.

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