name
Gestapo
geh-STAH-poh
name
1
The secret state police of Nazi Germany, notorious for surveillance, terror, and persecution.
"The Gestapo arrested anyone suspected of resisting the regime."
2
Any harshly oppressive or intrusive group or organisation (used figuratively and often as an exaggeration).
"He complained that the new office rules felt like something out of the Gestapo."
How to Use Gestapo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNazi Germany's secret police, or (loosely and often hyperbolically) any harshly controlling authority.
When to use it
Using it figuratively for everyday rules or petty enforcement can come across as tasteless given its historical weight.
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The _____ arrested anyone suspected of resisting the regime.
Etymology
A German contraction of Geheime Staatspolizei, meaning "secret state police."