Dictatorship Vocabulary

noun a person who favors or acts in an authoritarian manner

adjective relating to or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people

• The government's authoritarian regime stifled dissent and restricted civil liberties.
• My boss can be pretty authoritarian when it comes to enforcing company policies.
• Some people can't stand working for an authoritarian boss.
• The authoritarian grip of fear held the town in its clutches.

noun a hand made of iron or having the strength or hardness of iron

• The dictator ruled with an iron hand, suppressing any form of dissent.
• My boss runs the office with an iron hand, making sure everything is done her way.
• The coach has an iron hand when it comes to training, pushing us to our limits.
• She managed to maintain control over the situation with an iron hand, never showing any signs of weakness.

adjective relating to or characteristic of tyranny; oppressive and controlling

• The tyrannical ruler imposed strict laws on his people.
• My boss can be so tyrannical sometimes.
• That teacher is so tyrannical, she never lets us have any fun.
• The tyrannical grip of addiction held him captive for years.

verb to rule or govern in a tyrannical or oppressive manner

• The dictator proceeded to tyrannize the population, imposing strict laws and harsh punishments.
• The boss tends to tyrannize his employees by micromanaging every aspect of their work.
• Don't let your parents tyrannize you into doing something you don't want to do.
• The dark clouds seemed to tyrannize the sky, blocking out all sunlight.