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What makes someone a tyrant?
A glance at the comments posted in response to our definition of tyrant illustrate two things: the word has a fairly wide spectrum of meaning, and many political rulers of late (regardless of party and action) are thought by some to merit this description. The word is often now found used as a generalized term of reproach ("he was a real tyrant in the kitchen"), and also with more specific denotation ("the tyrant suspended the country’s judicial code"). The definitions we give for words match, as best as possible, the manner in which these words are used. We cannot offer judgment on whether or not any specific individual is or is not a tyrant.
Synonyms
Examples of tyrant in a Sentence
Vickie B. Sullivan, The Conversation, 5 June 2024
The former president has called the judge a tyrant and a devil.
—ABC News, 2 June 2024
That film is essentially one long chase, as Furiosa escapes the deteriorating Immortan Joe, a tyrant controlling a kingdom in a wasteland and the owner of a dull-black War Rig.
—Gabe Cohn, New York Times, 31 May 2024
These tools are the heavy artillery, the sophisticated devices painstakingly crafted to protect us from crooks, demagogues, and would-be tyrants.
—Kermit Roosevelt Iii, TIME, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tyrant 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tyrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tyrant
Cite this Entry
“Tyrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyrant. Accessed 9 Jun. 2024.
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tyrant
noun
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