You can use tyrant to refer to someone who treats the people they have authority over in a cruel and unfair way.
Since 1804 the country has mostly been ruled by tyrants.
...households where the father was a tyrant.
Synonyms: dictator, bully, authoritarian, Big Brother More Synonyms of tyrant
tyrant in British English
(ˈtaɪrənt)
noun
1.
a person who governs oppressively, unjustly, and arbitrarily; despot
2.
any person who exercises authority in a tyrannical manner
3.
anything that exercises tyrannical influence
4.
(esp in ancient Greece) a ruler whose authority lacked the sanction of law or custom; usurper
Word origin
C13: from Old French tyrant, from Latin tyrannus, from Greek turannos
tyrant in American English
(ˈtaɪrənt)
noun
1.
an absolute ruler; specif., in ancient Greece, etc., one who seized sovereignty illegally; usurper
2.
a cruel, oppressive ruler; despot
3.
any person who exercises authority in an oppressive manner; cruel master
4.
a tyrannical influence
Word origin
ME tirant < OFr tiran, tirant (with -t after ending -ant of prp.) < L tyrannus < Gr tyrannos
Examples of 'tyrant' in a sentence
tyrant
She was a tyrant around anyone else, but the people remembered her small kindnesses and were probably genuinely sorry to see her go.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
And the Julius Caesar quote might suggest that a tyrant is about to be overthrown...' `Hang on,' said Pascoe.
Anthony Masters CASCADES - THE DAY OF THE DEAD (2001)
Quotations
The hand of vengeance found the bed To which the purple tyrant fled; The iron hand crushed the tyrant's head, And became a tyrant in his steadWilliam BlakeThe Grey Monk
Tyrants seldom want pretextsEdmund Burkeletter to a Member of the National Assembly
Nature has left this tincture in the blood, That all men would be tyrants if they couldDaniel DefoeThe History of the Kentish Petition
In other languages
tyrant
British English: tyrant NOUN
You can use tyrant to refer to someone who treats the people they have authority over in a cruel and unfair way.
...households where the father was a tyrant.
American English: tyrant
Brazilian Portuguese: tirano
Chinese: 暴君
European Spanish: tirano
French: tyran
German: Tyrann
Italian: tiranno
Japanese: 暴君
Korean: 폭군
European Portuguese: tirano
Latin American Spanish: tirano
(noun)
Definition
any person who exercises authority in a tyrannical manner
Since 1804 the country has been mostly ruled by tyrants.
Synonyms
dictator
the country's long-term military dictator
bully
authoritarian
He became an overly strict authoritarian.
Big Brother
oppressor
The rebels called upon the people to rise up against their oppressors.
control freak
despot
He described the president as a ruthless despot.
autocrat
Her management style was that of an unapologetic autocrat.
absolutist
martinet
slave-driver
Quotations
The hand of vengeance found the bed To which the purple tyrant fled; The iron hand crushed the tyrant's head, And became a tyrant in his stead [William Blake – The Grey Monk]Tyrants seldom want pretexts [Edmund Burke – letter to a Member of the National Assembly]Nature has left this tincture in the blood, That all men would be tyrants if they could [Daniel Defoe – The History of the Kentish Petition]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of absolutist
Synonyms
dictator,
authoritarian,
tyrant,
Big Brother,
totalitarian,
arbiter,
control freak,
despot,
autocrat
in the sense of authoritarian
Definition
a person who insists on strict obedience to authority
He became an overly strict authoritarian.
Synonyms
disciplinarian,
dictator,
tyrant,
Big Brother,
control freak,
despot,
autocrat,
absolutist
in the sense of autocrat
Definition
a dictatorial person
Her management style was that of an unapologetic autocrat.
Synonyms
dictator,
tyrant,
Big Brother,
control freak,
despot,
absolutist
Synonyms of 'tyrant'
tyrant
Explore 'tyrant' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of despot
Definition
any person in power who acts tyrannically
He described the president as a ruthless despot.
Synonyms
tyrant,
dictator,
totalitarian,
Big Brother,
oppressor,
control freak,
autocrat,
monocrat
in the sense of oppressor
The rebels called upon the people to rise up against their oppressors.