despot

noun

ˈde-spət How to pronounce despot (audio)
Definition of despotnext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of despot Thus, to be real peace-makers, whether Christian or not, responsible leaders need to be aware that the approach of pacifism often paves the way for dictators and despots to inflict more and more violence. — Bill Keane, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026 The invisible power of the unelected despots of data and tech lords must be diminished; if families cannot control the disaster of digital addiction, states will have to legislate for them. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 Underlying such obvious acts of aggression lies an insidious tendency for transnational repression to flow from despots into democracies, oppressing lawyers of all nationalities in the process. — Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026 In that instance, the notorious Cold War-era Romanian despot was quickly executed (with his wife) by military top brass while his former elites went on to run things under a nominally democratic system. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for despot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despot
  1. tyrant
  2. dictator
Noun
  • Because, after all, as in all of Haber’s novels, the point is not really what is happening in the world but what is happening in the mind—in this case the mind of the pettiest of tyrants.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • Joseph Stalin—the Soviet Union’s supreme ruler from 1929 to 1953 and a murderous tyrant legendary for drinking friends and enemies under the table—was a closet oenophile, the e-mail explained.
    — Frankie Mills, Air Mail, 27 June 2026
Definition of tyrant
Noun
  • Its flint-hearted ferocity was a return to what the dynasts of the past—warlords, kings, and dictators—would find routine.
    — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • And following the ousting of longtime dictator Bashir Al-Assad, Syria continues to have armed conflict and sectarian violence.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
Definition of dictator

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despot
despotic
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Cite this Entry

“Despot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despot. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on despot

Nglish: Translation of despot for Spanish Speakers

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