1
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others
studied the tyrannous rule of Stalin, communist dictator of the Soviet Union
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2
as in authoritarian
fond of ordering people around
my older sister is a tyrannous bore who isn't happy unless she's in charge
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Recent Examples of tyrannous
Indeed, Daniel Roher’s pulse-pumping documentary about the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has all the ingredients: a mysterious case of near-fatal poisoning, a web of for-hire hoodlums, Vladimir Putin as the tyrannous leader behind it all.
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Tomris Laffly, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Feb. 2022
The same study posited that Fela was not the only popular musician who confronted the military and tyrannous leaders of Nigeria between independence in 1960 and Fela’s passing in 1997.
—Garhe Osiebe, Quartz Africa, 21 Feb. 2021
The patriarchs of their respective homes, Polonius (Peter Friedman) and Claudius (Ritchie Coster) enthrone themselves on the toilet, oblivious of the tumult their tyrannous treachery has wreaked. Syringes creepily replace swords.
—Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 19 Aug. 2017
Tomris Laffly, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Feb. 2022
The same study posited that Fela was not the only popular musician who confronted the military and tyrannous leaders of Nigeria between independence in 1960 and Fela’s passing in 1997.
—Garhe Osiebe, Quartz Africa, 21 Feb. 2021
The patriarchs of their respective homes, Polonius (Peter Friedman) and Claudius (Ritchie Coster) enthrone themselves on the toilet, oblivious of the tumult their tyrannous treachery has wreaked. Syringes creepily replace swords.
—Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 19 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannous
Adjective
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By that logic, the Union is the oppressive force, and her movement is the real resistance.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
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Debuting in 2014, Watch Dogs is an action-adventure game immersing players in the world of skilled hackers who use technology to combat oppressive forces controlling major cities across the world.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Autocratic The autocratic style is also known as authoritarian leadership.Jason Miller, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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In our age of brutal wars, authoritarian politics, cultures of contempt, and technology that promises to replace us with machines, what is left of the idea of the human being?George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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This push to start campaigns earlier is not arbitrary.Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Expiration dates are somewhat arbitrary The US Food and Drug Administration only began requiring drug manufacturers to put an expiration date on medications in 1979.Keren Landman, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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But soon enough, all three have arrived at the Morrow estate in rural Nebraska, where the aftereffects of Carlyle’s cruel, domineering parenting still echo.Emily C. Hughes, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024
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Shelby Taylor Former girlfriend of Murch, the domineering Shelby goes on hit The Real Housewives TV show franchise, and is now a prominent reality television star.Okla Jones, Essence, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Manji will appear as Crispin, an arrogant, pompous employee at a fancy, high-end hardware store who snubs George.Katie Campione, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2024
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My 21-year-old grandson is a dramatic and arrogant know-it-all.Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
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He’s simply replaced one tyrannical master with another.Katie Rife, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Still, somewhere between Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming, Downey’s public personality took on the triple-espresso cadence of Iron Man improv, and there’s a Comic Book Guy part of me that feels Downey’s manic energy is all wrong for playing a moody despotic sorcerer.Darren Franich, Vulture, 31 July 2024
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Gaza is finally ready to free itself of the despotic rule of Hamas, which creates for Gazans the real possibility of having a future of hope, and not of endless war and despair.Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The rise of autocratic regimes across the world over the last decade and a half has put democrats on high alert.Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024
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By Michael Schuman The revelation that North Korean troops have been gathering in Russia, ostensibly to assist President Vladimir Putin in his brutal invasion of Ukraine, has stoked Western fears of autocratic states banding together to undermine the interests of democracies.Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tyrannous
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannous. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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