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adj

tyrannical

tuh-RA-nuh-kuhl
adj
1
Acting like a tyrant; harshly and unfairly controlling.
"The tyrannical manager fired anyone who questioned his decisions."
"History remembers him as a tyrannical ruler who crushed all opposition."

How to Use Tyrannical

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBehaving like a cruel, all-controlling ruler or boss.

Common pairings
a tyrannical regime a tyrannical boss

Word Forms

more tyrannical comparative, most tyrannical superlative

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The _____ manager fired anyone who questioned his decisions.

Etymology

From Latin tyrannicus, based on the Greek word for an absolute ruler or despot.

Related Words

Rhymes for tyrannical

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