Word Study
HYPHEN
WORDNET DICTIONARY
CIDE DICTIONARY
OXFORD DICTIONARY
THESAURUS
ROGET THESAURUS
tyrannical
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Adjective tyrannical has 2 senses
- tyrannical(s = adj.all) oppressive, tyrannous - marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior; "the oppressive government"; "oppressive laws"; "a tyrannical parent"; "tyrannous disregard of human rights" Derived form noun tyranny2
- tyrannical(s = adj.all) authoritarian, autocratic, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannic - characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty; "an authoritarian regime"; "autocratic government"; "despotic rulers"; "a dictatorial rule that lasted for the duration of the war"; "a tyrannical government" Derived form noun tyranny2
CIDE DICTIONARY
tyrannical, a. [L. tyrannicus, Gr. : cf. F. tyrannique. See Tyrant.].
Of or pertaining to a tyrant; suiting a tyrant; unjustly severe in government; absolute; imperious; despotic; cruel; arbitrary; as, a tyrannical prince; a tyrannical master; tyrannical government. Shak. [1913 Webster]
"Our sects a more tyrannic power assume."
[1913 Webster]
"The oppressor ruled tyrannic where he durst."
[1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
tyrannical, adj.
1 acting like a tyrant; imperious, arbitrary.
2 given to or characteristic of tyranny.
1 acting like a tyrant; imperious, arbitrary.
2 given to or characteristic of tyranny.
Derivative
tyrannically adv.
Etymology
OF tyrannique f. L tyrannicus f. Gk turannikos (as TYRANT)
THESAURUS
tyrannical
absolute, absolutist, absolutistic, arbitrary, aristocratic, arrogant, autarchic, authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic, bossy, brutal, despotic, dictatorial, domineering, feudal, grinding, harsh, heavy-handed, high-handed, imperative, imperial, imperious, lordly, magisterial, magistral, masterful, monocratic, oppressive, overbearing, overruling, peremptory, repressive, roughshod, severe, strict, suppressive, tyrannous, unjustROGET THESAURUS
tyrannical
Severity
N severity, strictness, harshness, rigor, stringency, austerity, inclemency, arrogance, precisianism, arbitrary power, absolutism, despotism, dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, domineering, oppression, assumption, usurpation, inquisition, reign of terror, martial law, iron heel, iron rule, iron hand, iron sway, tight grasp, brute force, brute strength, coercion, strong hand, tight hand, hard lines, hard measure, tender mercies, sharp practice, pipe-clay, officialism, tyrant, disciplinarian, precisian, martinet, stickler, bashaw, despot, hard master, Draco, oppressor, inquisitor, extortioner, harpy, vulture, accipitres, birds of prey, raptorials, raptors, severe, strict, hard, harsh, dour, rigid, stiff, stern, rigorous, uncompromising, exacting, exigent, exigeant, inexorable, inflexible, obdurate, austere, hard-headed, hard-nosed, hard-shell, relentless, Spartan, Draconian, stringent, strait-laced, searching, unsparing, iron-handed, peremptory, absolute, positive, arbitrary, imperative, coercive, tyrannical, extortionate, grinding, withering, oppressive, inquisitorial, inclement, cruel, haughty, arrogant, precisian, severely, with a high hand, with a strong hand, with a tight hand, with a heavy hand, at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet, Delirant reges plectuntur Achivi, manu forti, ogni debole ha sempre il suo tiranno.
For further exploring for "tyrannical" in Webster Dictionary Online