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tyrant

tyrant

16 8.4
A ruler in ancient Greece who took power by force and ruled cruelly
  • noun
  • /ˈtaɪrənt/
translation icon : tirano
  • In their midst was Hippius, former tyrant of Athens, come to reclaim his city.
  • tyrant of Syracuse
  • tyrant Zhou
  • tyrant Octave

I would Plato have Crittius the tyrant tell this story.

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Examples

  • Her father and mother had to flee for their lives from the two greatest tyrants of the era.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The city suffered greatly under the rule of a tyrant who ignored the will of the citizens.

  • In places like Athens we will have a famous tyrant, but that will come later.

  • My land would be rich and strong again, as it was before this tyrant, Pelias, murdered my father.

  • Using the army to seize power, Ahk-Ton became a tyrant.

  • An opportunity to join the rest of free Greece and stand against a true tyrant...

  • Moreover, all who wanted Greece free from this Macedonian tyrant should rally under the banner of the great king and thieves.

  • The tyrant Hiero is wary of the poet Simonides: tyrants always fear those of great abilities.

    Academic text (2003)
  • In ancient Greece, many viewed a tyrant as someone who ruled without legal right, often oppressing the people.

  • After years of oppression, the people finally united to overthrow the tyrant and restore their democracy.

Synonyms

dictator
vstyrant
218 4.2

A ruler with complete power who often takes control by force and ignores the law

is the ancient type who seized power without legal right
overlord
vstyrant
21 8.4

A person who has great power and controls a country or people

is more specific as an ancient ruler who seized power unlawfully
despot
vstyrant
19 7.7

A ruler who has all power and treats people cruelly

is the ancient figure who seized authority without lawful right
usurper
vstyrant
11 8.6

A person who takes power illegally, often by force

governs after seizure and often rules oppressively rather than just seizing
autocrat
vstyrant
8 8.3

A ruler who has all power and treats people cruelly

is the ancient ruler who specifically took power without legal claim
authoritarian
vstyrant
5 8.2

A person who expects people to follow orders and allows little freedom

describes the ancient ruler type who seized power and ruled without legal right
autarch
vstyrant
  • Formal
3 9.9

A ruler who has complete power over a country and its people

is the historic ruler who seized control without any legal claim

Antonyms

21 5.3

A person who frees people from slavery or prison

Compounds

tyrant bird
  • Specialized
9.9

A large American bird that catches insects in the air

tyrant flycatcher
  • Specialized
9.9

A large American bird that catches insects in flight

How Tyrannical

despot
19 7.7
autocrat
8 8.3
dictator
33 5.6
tyrant
16 8.4
usurper
11 8.6

Surface Forms

tyrant singular
tyrants plural

Etymology

Tyrant comes from the ancient Greek word tyrannos, meaning 'ruler who takes power' rather than getting it by law, so in ancient Greece a tyrant was a leader who seized control without a legal right.