tyrant

[tahy-ruhnt]

noun

1. a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly.

   Synonyms: dictator, autocrat, despot

2. any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically.

3. a tyrannical or compulsory influence.

4. an absolute ruler, especially one in ancient Greece or Sicily.

tyrant

/ ˈtaɪrənt /

noun

1. a person who governs oppressively, unjustly, and arbitrarily; despot

2. any person who exercises authority in a tyrannical manner

3. anything that exercises tyrannical influence

4. (esp in ancient Greece) a ruler whose authority lacked the sanction of law or custom; usurper

Other Word Forms

• undertyrant noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tyrant¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English tirant, from Old French, earlier tiran (with the addition of t by association with -ant ( def. ) ), from Latin tyrannus, from Greek týrannos, of uncertain origin, perhaps Anatolian

Word History and Origins

Origin of tyrant¹

C13: from Old French tyrant, from Latin tyrannus, from Greek turannos

Example Sentences

To mirror the real world, the Land of Sweets was not spared from an evil nutcracker tyrant.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But he was not a tyrant like some surgeons.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Radical political zealots are ruling higher education like petty tyrants.

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But we also don’t believe that kings, tyrants or even democratically elected autocrats should have the freedom to invade other countries or engage in extrajudicial killings.

Read more on Salon

Just thirty-four, Castro had overthrown a corrupt tyrant and seized control of Cuba less than two years before.

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Related Words

• autocrat 
• bully 
• despot 
• dictator 
• oppressor