tyrant

American  

[tahy-ruhnt] / ˈtaɪ rənt /

noun

tyrants plural

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.

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tyrant British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• undertyrant
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tyrants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tyrant

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

Explanation

If you accuse your parents of being tyrants, you are saying they abuse their control of you — they are cruel, overly restrictive of your freedoms, and unfair. A tyrant is a ruler who is cruel and unjust. Here's an idea for a game: list all the tyrants in history and vote for the worst tyrant of all time. Don't limit yourself to 20th or 21st century ones like Hitler and Stalin and Saddam Hussein. Maybe put Attila the Hun on your list. You could also name a few minor tyrants in your life, such as your boss or another person with unreasonable demands.

Example Sentences

But she also concludes that George III wasn’t a tyrant, just a king “ill advised by ministers obsessed by debt,” and the unavoidable fact that their empire, expanding for centuries, was now shrinking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

He’s a mostly benevolent tyrant, but his crotchety side can get ugly and he’s not always in control of his temper.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

The newly identified species has been named Tyrannoroter heberti, which means Hebert's tyrant digger, in recognition of its discoverer, Brian Hebert.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

They thought those who were in competing spheres of power would fight for their own prerogatives, but it’s clear that’s actually quite a rare occurrence when it comes to facing down a tyrant.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026

It was as if someone had slipped into the Kremlin in 1950 and held Stalin at gunpoint, leaving the nation, accustomed to obeying a tyrant, utterly rudderless.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• autocrat
• bully
• despot
• dictator
• oppressor