tyranny
tyranny Lexical Profile
tyranny Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Cruel, oppressive, and arbitrary government or rule exercised by an absolute ruler or regime.
"The citizens united in peaceful protest to demand an end to decades of political tyranny."
Unreasonable, harsh, or domineering control exercised by any person, group, or circumstance.
"Modern remote workers often struggle to escape the tyranny of constant email notifications."
A nation or state under cruel and oppressive government.
"The treaty sought to prevent the fragile republic from degenerating into a military tyranny."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'tyrannie', via Late Latin 'tyrannia', from Ancient Greek 'tyrannis' ('rule of a tyrant'), derived from 'tyrannos' ('absolute ruler'). In classical Greece, 'tyrannos' originally referred to any ruler who seized power outside constitutional norms rather than necessarily a cruel oppressor.