tyrant
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tyrant
A ruler who exercises power arbitrarily, cruelly, and oppressively; a despot.
In der Antike gab es viele Stadtstaaten, die von einem Tyrannen regiert wurden.
In antiquity, there were many city-states that were ruled by a tyrant.
tyrant
In a figurative sense, a person who treats others in their environment in a domineering, authoritarian, and ruthless way.
Sein Chef ist ein echter Tyrann, der seine Mitarbeiter ständig schikaniert.
His boss is a real tyrant who constantly harasses his employees.
'Der Tyrann' (the tyrant) belongs to the N-declension. This means it takes the ending '-en' in the genitive, dative, and accusative singular. Learners often make mistakes with this.
Das Volk rebellierte gegen den Tyrannen.
The people rebelled against the tyrant.
The noun 'der Tyrann' (the tyrant) is part of a word family. This also includes the noun 'die Tyrannei' (tyranny, the form of rule) and the adjective 'tyrannisch' (tyrannical, like a tyrant).
Sein Verhalten war absolut tyrannisch.
His behavior was absolutely tyrannical.
In everyday language, 'Tyrann' (tyrant) is often used as an exaggerated description for a person who abuses their position of power, for example a strict boss, teacher, or dominant family member.
Die Kinder nannten ihren Mathelehrer heimlich einen Tyrannen.
The children secretly called their math teacher a tyrant.
dictator
Diktator and Tyrann can refer to the same authoritarian ruler. Diktator emphasizes the ruler’s unlimited political power. Tyrann, by contrast, particularly conveys that the ruler exercises this power arbitrarily, cruelly, and oppressively.
Der Präsident gilt als Tyrann, weil er seine Gegner willkürlich einsperren und grausam bestrafen lässt.
The president is considered a tyrant because he has his opponents imprisoned arbitrarily and punished cruelly.
Der Präsident regiert als Diktator mit unbegrenzter Macht.
The president rules as a dictator with unlimited power.
