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What makes someone a tyrant?
A glance at the comments posted in response to our definition of tyrant illustrate two things: the word has a fairly wide spectrum of meaning, and many political rulers of late (regardless of party and action) are thought by some to merit this description. The word is often now found used as a generalized term of reproach ("he was a real tyrant in the kitchen"), and also with more specific denotation ("the tyrant suspended the country’s judicial code"). The definitions we give for words match, as best as possible, the manner in which these words are used. We cannot offer judgment on whether or not any specific individual is or is not a tyrant.
Examples of tyrant in a Sentence
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
Our tyrant locks up immigrants, comptrollers too, And sows chaos no matter the cost,
so, what’s a public theater to do,
To ensure that our democracy is not lost?
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Argentina’s lessons for the current moment are multiple: When tyrants threaten, more people and institutions may cower than resist; the loss of checks on state violence can be catastrophic; and no one knows who the next victim will be.
—Julia M. Klein, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
The message would then be clear: The Russian tyrant won’t break Ukraine.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
Cite this Entry
“Tyrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyrant. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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tyrant
noun
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