as in tyrant
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the despot exiled political dissidents to remote labor camps, where they were left to rot
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Recent Examples of despot
That's what a despot - who wants to steal the taxpayers money to enrich his billionaire cabal - does.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
Without outside help or with the wrong kind of foreign aid, Syria will be more likely to slide back into civil war or come under the thumb of another despot.
—Nafees Hamid, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2025
The horror show of our impending political nightmare is casting a shadow over the New Year like another decrepit despot of suffering, the creeping bloodsucker of Nosferatu.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
This dynamic is especially relevant for despots who do not intend to exit the scene peacefully when their tenure is up.
—Michael Poznansky, Foreign Affairs, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despot
David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
Without outside help or with the wrong kind of foreign aid, Syria will be more likely to slide back into civil war or come under the thumb of another despot.
—Nafees Hamid, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2025
The horror show of our impending political nightmare is casting a shadow over the New Year like another decrepit despot of suffering, the creeping bloodsucker of Nosferatu.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
This dynamic is especially relevant for despots who do not intend to exit the scene peacefully when their tenure is up.
—Michael Poznansky, Foreign Affairs, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for despot
Cite this Entry
“Despot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despot. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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