What does "tyrant" mean?
A usurper; one who gains power and rules extralegally, distinguished from kings elevated by election or succession.
Tyrant
/ˈtaɪɹənt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A usurper; one who gains power and rules extralegally, distinguished from kings elevated by election or succession.
- Grammar: tyrant is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: autocrat, despot, absolute monarch, absolute ruler.
- Useful contrasts: agamemnon, benevolent ruler, benevolent supervisor.
- Usage evidence: The depravity of the king's deeds led the people to believe he was nothing more than a tyrant that needed to be overthrown.
How to use "tyrant"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tyrant" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tyrant" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tyrant" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tyrant" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tyrant" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "autocrat" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tyrant", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A usurper; one who gains power and rules extralegally, distinguished from kings elevated by election or succession. historical
"To proue him Tyrant, this reason may suffice, That Henry liueth still."
- 2 a cruel and oppressive dictator wordnet
- 3 Any monarch or governor. obsolete
"Cassius... set tyrants over all Syria."
- 4 any person who exercises power in a cruel way wordnet
- 5 A despot; a ruler who governs unjustly, cruelly, or harshly.
"Tyrannes...be but Gods scourges which he will cast into the fyre when he hath done with them."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 in ancient Greece, a ruler who had seized power without legal right to it wordnet
- 7 Any person who abuses the power of position or office to treat others unjustly, cruelly, or harshly. broadly
"A plague vpon the Tyrant that I serue"
- 8 A villain; a person or thing who uses strength or violence to treat others unjustly, cruelly, or harshly. broadly
"I was a blasphemar, and a persecuter, and a tyraunt."
- 9 The tyrant birds, members of the family Tyrannidae, which often fight or drive off other birds which approach their nests.
"The Tyrant... The courage of this little Bird is singular."
Verb
- 1 To act like a tyrant; to be tyrannical. intransitive, obsolete
"Let thy judgment be king, but not tyrant over it"
- 2 To tyrannize. obsolete, transitive
Adjective
- 1 Tyrannical, tyrannous; like, characteristic of, or in the manner of a tyrant. uncommon
"He was most tirant & cruell of all emperours."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The depravity of the king's deeds led the people to believe he was nothing more than a tyrant that needed to be overthrown."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tyrant"?
Common synonyms include: autocrat, despot, absolute monarch, absolute ruler, abusers, all-powerful ruler.
How do you use "tyrant" in a sentence?
The depravity of the king's deeds led the people to believe he was nothing more than a tyrant that needed to be overthrown.
How do you pronounce "tyrant"?
Pronounced /ˈtaɪɹənt/.
Etymology
From Middle English tyraunt, tiraunt, tyrant, tyrante, from Old French tyrant, from the addition of a terminal -t to tiran (cp. French tyran) via a back-formation related to the development of French present participles out of the Latin -ans form, from Latin tyrannus (“despot”), from Ancient Greek τύραννος (túrannos, “usurper, monarch, despot”), of uncertain origin.