tyrannical
Americanadjective
-
of or characteristic of a tyrant.
-
unjustly cruel, harsh, or severe; arbitrary or oppressive; despotic.
a tyrannical ruler.
- Synonyms:
- domineering, imperious, dictatorial
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tyrannical
1530–40; < Latin tyrannic ( us ) (< Greek tyrannikós, equivalent to týrann ( os ) tyrant + -ikos -ic ) + -al 1
Explanation
A tyrannical ruler wields absolute power and authority, and often wields that power unjustly, cruelly, or oppressively. First used in the 1530s, the adjective tyrannical stems from the late-14th-century word tyranny, meaning "cruel or unjust use of power," which has origins in the Greek work tyrannos, meaning "master." Tyrannical rule is the opposite of democratic rule, which places the power in the people, the majority of whom makes the decisions. Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin are three examples of the 20th century's most tyrannical dictators.
Vocabulary lists containing tyrannical
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry (1775)
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Matilda
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They were also building out an empire, and that empire functioned by top-down tyrannical rule.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2026
We’ve also reached a point in the season at which previous groups of Traitors turned on each other for reasons similar to those that do in tyrannical cabals: mutual envy, paranoia and greed.
From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2026
British tech campaigner Imran Ahmed on Friday decried a US visa ban as "punishment" for his organization's work combating disinformation and holding major online platforms accountable, telling AFP that Washington's actions amounted to "tyrannical behavior."
From Barron's ● Jan. 2, 2026
Scipio didn’t pave the way for the tyrannical Caesars who were to come; he represents what they might have been.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 16, 2025
Nothing like an arcane literary debate with your tyrannical master while you pass the time leading to your execution.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
