Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Characterized by tyranny; despotic.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of tyrannical character or quality; given to or marked by tyranny; harshly despotic.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Tyrannical; arbitrary; unjustly severe; despotic.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective tyrannical, despotic or oppressive

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior

Etymologies

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Examples

  • But then, any Middle Eastern country, no matter how tyrannous, which is willing to obey Washington (and perhaps tacitly support Israeli crimes against the Palestinians) is ipso facto considered "moderate".

    newmatilda.com - Comments danlew 2009

  • For only that taxation is tyrannous which is diverted to objects which are not useful to the contributors.

    The Unexpurgated Case Against Woman Suffrage Almroth Wright 1904

  • First of all she is described in sonnet 131 as "tyrannous"; then in sonnet 133 as "faithless"; in sonnet 137 as "the bay where all men ride ... the wide world's commonplace"; in sonnet 138 as "false"; in

    The Man Shakespeare Frank Harris 1893

  • England is "tyrannous," that is, not only because it has declared war and thus threatened itself, but also because it manipulates "the sweet words of/

    Romantic Fear 2008

  • So, too, was the picture of the United States "for generations" as a unique force for justice and courageous sacrifice, in a world otherwise populated by the tyrannous, the craven, the selfish, and the weak.

    David Bromwich: The CIA, the Libyan Rebellion, and the President David Bromwich 2011

  • Ben Jonson and Shakespeare actually strongly disagree – a prince who is feared usually creates a tyrannous regime.

    Matthew Yglesias » Luce & Machiavelli on Leadership 2010

  • The same citizenship rights that authorize political power for electoral majority groupings also protect minorities, women and individuals from the unjust curtailing of their rights by tyrannous majorities.

    Ziad J. Asali, M.D.: Arabs Deserve a Party of the Citizen M.D. Ziad J. Asali 2012

  • I knew I would be safe here from the protestations of the working week, from its spindly, tyrannous fingers.

    Day 6: Bunking off Jane Flett 2011

  • In actuality the whale (witness Jonah), the alligator, and tyrannous rex were maneaters.

    A MAGIC SWORD • by Stu Andrews 2009

  • So, too, was the picture of the United States "for generations" as a unique force for justice and courageous sacrifice, in a world otherwise populated by the tyrannous, the craven, the selfish, and the weak.

    David Bromwich: The CIA, the Libyan Rebellion, and the President David Bromwich 2011

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