tyrant

• n. 暴君

來自拉丁語 tyrannus,國君，暴君，統治者，來自希臘語 tyrannos,國君，暴君，統治者。

tyrant (n.)

c. 1300, "absolute ruler," especially one without legal right; "cruel, oppressive ruler," from Old French tiran, tyrant (12c.), from Latin tyrannus "lord, master, monarch, despot," especially "arbitrary ruler, cruel governor, autocrat" (source also of Spanish tirano, Italian tiranno), from Greek tyrannos "lord, master, sovereign, absolute ruler unlimited by law or constitution," a loan-word from a language of Asia Minor (probably Lydian); Klein compares Etruscan Turan "mistress, lady" (surname of Venus).

In the exact sense, a tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself the royal authority without having a right to it. This is how the Greeks understood the word 'tyrant': they applied it indifferently to good and bad princes whose authority was not legitimate. [Rousseau, "The Social Contract"]

Originally in Greek the word was not applied to old hereditary sovereignties (basileiai) and despotic kings, but it was used of usurpers, even when popular, moderate, and just (such as Cypselus of Corinth), however it soon became a word of reproach in the usual modern sense. The spelling with -t arose in Old French by analogy with present participle endings in -ant. Fem. form tyranness is recorded from 1590 (Spenser); Medieval Latin had tyrannissa (late 14c.).

1. The guy in charge was the typical smalltown tyrant.

管事者專橫霸道，典型的小地方人。

來自柯林斯例句

2. The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.

暴君聽不到奴隸們的哀鳴.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

3. Her grandfather was a tyrant who insisted on absolute silence at the dinner table.

她祖父是個專橫的人,堅持吃飯時絕對禁止講話.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

4. The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.

該國處在一個專製暴君的統治之下。

來自辭典例句

5. For years the country was ruled by a tyrant.

這個國家被一個暴君統治了好多年.

來自辭典例句