despotic

D2E1S1P3O1T1I1C3
UK/disˈpɒt.ɪk/UK/dɛsˈpɒt.ɪk/UK/dəˈspɒt.ɪk/US/dɛsˈpɑt.ɪk/

adjective

Of or pertaining to a despot or tyrant.

“This despotic age of the empire ended in a revolt.”

Similar
bossy and arrogantdespoticalundemocraticauthoritarianautocraticdictatorialtyrannictyrannical
OriginAncient Greek δεσποτικός ← French despotique →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Word of the Day · Oct 25, 2023

Meanings

adjectivedespotic (comparative more despotic, superlative most despotic)

comparative more despotic · superlative most despotic · alternative despotick

  1. Of or pertaining to a despot or tyrant.

    This despotic age of the empire ended in a revolt.

  2. Acting or ruling as a despot, tyrannical.

    The despotic king dissolved the parliament, and took personal control of the country.

    Synonyms: bossy and arrogant

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveActing or ruling as a despot, tyrannical.

Similar
bossy and arrogant

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivebelonging to or having the characteristics of a despot

Similar
despotical

adjectiveruled by or characteristic of a despot

Similar
undemocratic

adjectivecharacteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty

Similar
authoritarianautocraticdictatorialtyrannictyrannicalundemocratic
Also see
absoluteauthoritarianautocraticbossydemandingdespoticaldictatorialheavy-handedmasterlyobtrusiveoppressivetyrannictyrannicalundemocratic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchdespotique
  2. Ancient Greekδεσποτικός
  3. Englishdespotic

From Ancient Greek δεσποτικός (despotikós) via French despotique, equivalent to despot + -ic.

More words from Ancient Greek, French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek δεσποτικός, δεσποτικός
  • δεσποτικός (despotikós)acting or ruling as a despot
  • δεσποτικός (despotikós)of or pertaining to a despot
Bulgarian деспоти́чен, деспоти́чен
  • деспоти́чен (despotíčen)acting or ruling as a despot
  • деспоти́чен (despotíčen)of or pertaining to a despot
Catalan despòtic, despòtic
  • despòticacting or ruling as a despot
  • despòticof or pertaining to a despot
Czech despotický, despotický
  • despotickýacting or ruling as a despot
  • despotickýof or pertaining to a despot
Danish despotisk, despotisk
  • despotiskacting or ruling as a despot
  • despotiskof or pertaining to a despot
Dutch despotisch
  • despotischacting or ruling as a despot
Esperanto despota
  • despotaof or pertaining to a despot
Finnish itsevaltainen, despoottinen
  • itsevaltainenacting or ruling as a despot
  • despoottinenacting or ruling as a despot
  • itsevaltainenof or pertaining to a despot
  • despoottinenof or pertaining to a despot
French despotique
  • despotiqueof or pertaining to a despot
German despotisch, despotisch
  • despotischacting or ruling as a despot
  • despotischof or pertaining to a despot
Hungarian zsarnoki, despotikus
  • zsarnokiof or pertaining to a despot
  • despotikusof or pertaining to a despot
Polish despotyczny, despotyczny
  • despotycznyacting or ruling as a despot
  • despotycznyof or pertaining to a despot
Portuguese despótico, despótico
  • despóticoacting or ruling as a despot
  • despóticoof or pertaining to a despot
Romanian despotic, despotic
  • despoticacting or ruling as a despot
  • despoticof or pertaining to a despot
Russian деспоти́чный, деспоти́ческий
  • деспоти́чный (despotíčnyj)acting or ruling as a despot
  • деспоти́ческий (despotíčeskij)of or pertaining to a despot
Scottish Gaelic aintighearnail, aintighearnail
  • aintighearnailacting or ruling as a despot
  • aintighearnailof or pertaining to a despot
Spanish despótico
  • despóticoof or pertaining to a despot

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with despotic

eroticexoticaquaticantibioticchaoticasymptoticnarcotichypnoticidioticneuroticbioticsymbioticosmoticamnioticprobioticsemioticoticquixoticsclerotichomoeroticheterotichomeoticautoeroticNilotic
All rhymes →

Anagrams

cetopsid
Cite this entry
APA

despotic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despotic

MLA

“despotic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despotic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “despotic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despotic.

Source: despotic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.