shah

noun

ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
often capitalized
Synonyms of shahnext
: a sovereign of Iran
shahdom
ˈshä-dəm How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ-
noun

Examples of shah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An ally of the United States, the shah went into exile in Mexico. — Peter Baker, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025 Instead, Carter assured the shah that the United States would support a military crackdown to quell the growing unrest, sent General Robert Huyser to back the shah’s last prime minister over Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and authorized covert action to undermine Khomeini’s regime. — Stuart E. Eisenstat, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2024 Kennedy used foreign aid to wage a bloody counterinsurgency in South Vietnam; Carter put human rights at the center of his policy and then toasted the repressive shah of Iran; Bush, claiming to be spreading democracy to the Middle East, seriously damaged America’s global legitimacy. — George Packer, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2025 Yet despite his misgivings, Mr. Carter granted the shah’s request. — Peter Baker, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shah

Word History

Etymology

Persian shāh king — more at check

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shah was in 1566

Rhymes for shah

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Browse Nearby Words

shah
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Cite this Entry

“Shah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shah. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

shah

noun
ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
: a ruler of Iran until the 1979 revolution

More from Merriam-Webster on shah

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shah

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shah

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