Tyrannical

  • 1tyrannical — index brutal, cruel, dictatorial, oppressive, relentless, severe, strict, stringent, tyrannous …

    Law dictionary

  • 2tyrannical — 1530s; see TYRANNY (Cf. tyranny) + ICAL (Cf. ical). Tyrannic was used in this sense from late 15c …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 3tyrannical — tyrannical, tyrannous despotic, arbitrary, *absolute, autocratic Analogous words: *dictatorial, authoritarian, magisterial: *totalitarian, authoritarian: domineering, imperious, *masterful …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 4tyrannical — [adj] despotic, oppressive authoritarian, autocratic, brutal, cruel, demanding, dictatorial, domineering, harsh, heavy handed*, ironhanded*, mean, overbearing, repressive, ruthless, totalitarian, tough, unjust; concepts 537,548 …

    New thesaurus

  • 5tyrannical — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ exercising power in a cruel or arbitrary way. DERIVATIVES tyrannically adverb …

    English terms dictionary

  • 6tyrannical — [tə ran′i kəl, tiran′i kəl, tīran′i kəl] adj. [L tyrannicus < Gr tyrannikos] 1. of or suited to a tyrant; arbitrary; despotic 2. harsh, cruel, unjust, oppressive, etc.: Also tyrannic tyrannically adv …

    English World dictionary

  • 7Tyrannical — Tyrannic Ty*ran nic (?; 277), Tyrannical Ty*ran nic*al, a. [L. tyrannicus, Gr. ?: cf. F. tyrannique. See {Tyrant}.] Of or pertaining to a tyrant; suiting a tyrant; unjustly severe in government; absolute; imperious; despotic; cruel; arbitrary; as …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 8tyrannical — [[t]tɪræ̱nɪk(ə)l[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED If you describe someone as tyrannical, you mean that they are severe or unfair towards the people that they have authority over. He killed his tyrannical father with a blow to the head... His behavior grew more …

    English dictionary

  • 9tyrannical — adjective 1 behaving in a cruel and unfair way towards someone you have power over: a tyrannical father 2 tyrannical rules or laws etc are based on a system in which a single ruler uses their power unfairly: the tyrannical laws relating to… …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10tyrannical — also tyrannic adjective Etymology: Latin tyrannicus, from Greek tyrannikos, from tyrannos tyrant Date: 15th century being or characteristic of a tyrant or tyranny ; despotic < tyrannical rule > < a tyrannical ruler > • tyrannically adverb • …

    New Collegiate Dictionary