SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
tyrannical
adjective
Exercising power in a harsh, oppressive, or arbitrary way.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Harsh exercise of power
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topTyrannical condemns unjust or harsh control. Authoritarian emphasizes obedience to authority, while arbitrary describes decisions lacking a fair or consistent basis.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See tyrannical in use
The play's tyrannical ruler forbids even mild disagreement.
The warden's tyrannical rule extended to punishing an entire row of merchants whenever one person questioned an instruction.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
- TYRANNICAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
- Princeton WordNet 3.0: wn30-a-00717684, wn30-a-00788474
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license