- a person who governs oppressively, unjustly, and arbitrarily; despot
- any person who exercises authority in a tyrannical manner
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ty•rant /ˈtaɪrənt/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Governmentone who uses power cruelly or unjustly.
ty•rant
(tī′rənt),USA pronunciation n.
- a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly.
- any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically.
- a tyrannical or compulsory influence.
- an absolute ruler, esp. one in ancient Greece or Sicily.
- Greek týrannos
- Latin tyrannus
- Old French
- Middle English tirant 1250–1300
- 1. despot, autocrat, dictator.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
tyrant /ˈtaɪrənt/ n
'tyrant' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bloody
- Brutus
- Damocles
- despot
- Dionysius
- Hipparchus
- Pisistratus
- Polycrates
- tsar
- tyrannosaurus
- tyranny
- tyrannical
- tyrannicide
- upstart
- yoke
- Agathocles
- autarch
- Caesar
- Cleobulus
- flycatcher
- glare
- Hippias
- immovable
- irritable
- kingbird
- melt
- ogre
- oppress
- overthrow
- Periander
- petty
- Pharaoh
- ruthless
- trade
- tyrannize
- tyrannosaur
- tyrannous
- tyrannulet
- tyrant flycatcher
- sharpbill
- suspicious