tyranny

/ˈtɪrəni/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtɪrəni/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtir-ə-nē/ (ame, mw)

tyranny — noun

1. rule under one leader or a small ruling group that faces no real limits and trea

1.名詞C2
釋義

rule under one leader or a small ruling group that faces no real limits and treats ordinary people with harsh unfair power

例句

Daichi's grandfather spent six years in prison under the army's tyranny.

phrase: under tyranny

Villagers fled the king's tyranny after soldiers burned their farms.

the tyranny of a ruler

同義詞
  • dictatorship

    is the neutral political term for rule by one powerful leader or party

  • despotism

    is more formal and often stresses absolute personal rule

  • oppression

    focuses more on the suffering forced onto the people than on the rulers themselves

  • autocracy

    highlights power gathered into one ruler's hands, sometimes without the same emotional force

反義詞
  • democracy

    stresses rule shaped by public choice and limits on power

  • freedom

    focuses on people being able to live without cruel control

  • self-government

    emphasizes a people governing themselves rather than being ruled by force

文法句型

live under tyranny

the tyranny of a ruler

years of tyranny

用法筆記

Usually describes a state, ruler, or system rather than one isolated act. It often appears with under when naming what people suffer and with of when naming the ruler or force.

常見錯誤

❌The country was in tyranny for decades.
✅The country lived under tyranny for decades.
💡under tyranny is the usual phrase for this kind of rule.
❌The king used a tyranny over the people.
✅The king ruled the people through tyranny.
💡tyranny names the system of rule, not a tool you use with a.

2. a severe kind of control that unfairly decides what you can do or how you must l

2.名詞C2
釋義

a severe kind of control that unfairly decides what you can do or how you must live

例句

Zayd felt the tyranny of debt whenever rent day arrived.

the tyranny of + force

For Lara, the tyranny of the clock ruined every family dinner.

the tyranny of the clock

同義詞
  • domination

    is broader and does not always imply cruelty or resentment

  • grip

    is more informal and often stresses the strength of control

  • stranglehold

    suggests especially tight control that blocks freedom or progress

  • control

    is the broad everyday word, but it is weaker and less emotional

反義詞
  • freedom

    suggests being able to choose how to live

  • autonomy

    focuses on directing your own life without outside control

  • flexibility

    highlights room to adapt instead of being tightly controlled

文法句型

the tyranny of debt

the tyranny of the clock

escape the tyranny of rules

用法筆記

This sense is figurative, not political. It usually appears in the tyranny of ... to name a force such as time, debt, rules, or public pressure that seems to run a person's life.