- 1unfair or cruel use of power or authority a victim of oppression and tyranny The children had no protection against the tyranny of their father. the tyrannies of Nazi rule (figurative) These days it seems we must all submit to the tyranny of the automobile.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- 2the rule of a tyrant; a country under this rule synonym dictatorship Any political system refusing to allow dissent becomes a tyranny.
Check pronunciation: tyranny