tyrant

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   any person who exercises power in a cruel way

   Their boss was a tyrant.

2. 2
   noun

   A usurper; one who gains power and rules extralegally, distinguished from kings elevated by election or succession.

   To proue him Tyrant, this reason may suffice, That Henry liueth still.

3. 3
   noun

   Any monarch or governor.

   Cassius... set tyrants over all Syria.

4. 4
   noun

   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.

5. 5
   noun

   Any person who abuses the power of position or office to treat others unjustly, cruelly, or harshly.

   A plague vpon the Tyrant that I serue

6. 6
   noun

   A villain; a person or thing who uses strength or violence to treat others unjustly, cruelly, or harshly.

   I was a blasphemar, and a persecuter, and a tyraunt.

7. 7
   noun

   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.

8. 8
   adj

   Tyrannical, tyrannous; like, characteristic of, or in the manner of a tyrant.

   He was most tirant & cruell of all emperours.

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.