TYRANNICAL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does tyrannical mean? 

• TYRANNICAL (adjective)
  The adjective TYRANNICAL has 2 senses:

1. marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior

2. characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty

  Familiarity information: TYRANNICAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TYRANNICAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior

Synonyms:

oppressive; tyrannical; tyrannous

Context example:

tyrannous disregard of human rights

Similar:

domineering (tending to domineer)

Derivation:

tyranny (dominance through threat of punishment and violence)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty

Synonyms:

authoritarian; autocratic; despotic; dictatorial; tyrannic; tyrannical

Context example:

a tyrannical government

Similar:

undemocratic (not in agreement with or according to democratic doctrine or practice or ideals)

Derivation:

tyranny (dominance through threat of punishment and violence)

 Context examples 

Boys are trying enough to human patience, goodness knows, but girls are infinitely more so, especially to nervous gentlemen with tyrannical tempers and no more talent for teaching than Dr.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The generous nature of Safie was outraged by this command; she attempted to expostulate with her father, but he left her angrily, reiterating his tyrannical mandate.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

He had known many disagreeable fathers before, and often been struck with the inconveniences they occasioned, but never, in the whole course of his life, had he seen one of that class so unintelligibly moral, so infamously tyrannical as Sir Thomas.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)