Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cruel and oppressive ruler: A person who uses power in a cruel, unjust, or severe way, often without regard for laws or the rights of others.
   • An absolute ruler who seized power illegally: Historically, especially in ancient Greece, a ruler who gained control of a state by force, not by legal or hereditary right.
   • A person who exercises authority in a harsh, domineering manner: Someone, not necessarily a political leader, who uses their power or position to control others cruelly.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The king was remembered as a cruel tyrant who oppressed his people.
  • In the office, he was a petty tyrant, micromanaging every detail of his team's work.
  • Many Greek tyrants, like Pisistratus of Athens, were actually popular with the common people despite their illegal seizure of power.

Advanced Usage

• "Petty tyrant": A person who acts like a tyrant in a small or limited sphere, such as a workplace, school, or home.

  • The supervisor was a petty tyrant, making unreasonable demands on the staff.

• "Schoolyard tyrant": A bully who dominates and intimidates others in a school setting.

  • He was the schoolyard tyrant that everyone was afraid of.

Variants and Related Words

• Tyrannical (adj): Characteristic of a tyrant; cruel, oppressive, and arbitrary.

  • The people rebelled against the tyrannical government.

• Tyrannize (verb): To rule or treat someone with cruel and unjust power.

  • The dictator used his army to tyrannize the population.

• Tyranny (noun): Cruel and oppressive government or rule; a state under such rule.

  • The citizens lived in fear under his tyranny.

Synonyms

• Despot: A ruler with absolute power, often one who uses it oppressively.
• Dictator: A ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained control by force.
• Oppressor: A person or group that exercises authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
• Autocrat: A ruler who has absolute power.

Related Phrases

• "The tyrant's plea": An excuse or justification for oppressive power, often claiming it is for the public good (a literary/philosophical concept).
  • He dismissed their complaints with the tyrant's plea of necessity.

Related Idioms

• To play the tyrant: To act in a cruel, domineering way.
  • Whenever his boss is away, the assistant manager starts to play the tyrant.

Noun

1. any person who exercises power in a cruel way
   • his father was a tyrant
2. in ancient Greece, a ruler who had seized power without legal right to it
3. a cruel and oppressive dictator