tyrannical
adjective
ty·ran·ni·cal
tə-ˈra-ni-kəl 
tī-
variants
or less commonly tyrannic
tə-ˈra-nik
tī-
Examples of tyrannical in a Sentence
Everyone was afraid of their overbearing and tyrannical boss.
a tyrannical ruler whose terrible reign was marked by unceasing violence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Constitution that resulted outlined a separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, serving together as a system of checks and balances to prevent the kind of tyrannical rule that the colonies fought to free themselves from.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
The tyrannical showrunner, Cal, is our victim of the week, done in by his (in her mind) long-suffering leading lady, Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf, what a get!), who finally has a chance to put her classical training to work in a production of Macbeth in London.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
Only the second entry in the young Thompson's filmography, Heavyweights tells the story of a group of enrollees at a weight loss camp who stage a coup against the tyrannical fitness enthusiasts who've recently seized power.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
The most unpopular president this century is dictating tyrannical violations of the U.S. Constitution.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
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Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
The tyrannical showrunner, Cal, is our victim of the week, done in by his (in her mind) long-suffering leading lady, Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf, what a get!), who finally has a chance to put her classical training to work in a production of Macbeth in London.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
Only the second entry in the young Thompson's filmography, Heavyweights tells the story of a group of enrollees at a weight loss camp who stage a coup against the tyrannical fitness enthusiasts who've recently seized power.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
The most unpopular president this century is dictating tyrannical violations of the U.S. Constitution.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyrannical. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tyrannical
adjective
ty·ran·ni·cal
tə-ˈran-i-kəl
tī-
variants
also tyrannic
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a tyrant or tyranny
a tyrannical ruler
tyrannical rule
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