tyrant

n. a leader of a country who has complete power and treats people cruelly.

n. an absolute ruler who governs without legal restraint and exercises power oppressively or cruelly.

“The people finally rose up to overthrow the tyrant who had ruled for decades.”

“History remembers him not as a visionary leader, but as a paranoid tyrant who executed anyone he perceived as a threat to his absolute authority.”

n. someone who has power over others and uses it to be mean or unfair.

n. a person who exercises power or influence over others in a harsh, domineering, or unreasonable way.

“Our new manager is a bit of a tyrant who expects us to work every weekend.”

“Though he was a brilliant conductor, he was a notorious tyrant in rehearsals, often reducing professional musicians to tears with his sharp tongue.”

Informal

n. in ancient history, a ruler who took power by force rather than by law.

n. in an Ancient Greek context, a ruler who seized power unconstitutionally, regardless of whether their rule was beneficial or oppressive.

“In ancient Greece, a tyrant was not always a bad ruler, just one who took power illegally.”

“The rise of the tyrant in the sixth century BCE often coincided with the breakdown of traditional aristocratic control over the city-state.”

Academic · Formal