despot

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Now, the despot regime has been decapitated, but ConocoPhillips isn’t jumping up and down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has replaced three top officials in charge of his personal security, Seoul said Tuesday, a sign the despot may increasingly fear assassination plots.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

“We will never let the evil will of a sad, malignant despot dictate how we treat one another,” said the Greyhound Bar & Grill in Highland Park.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2025

He’s not a father, a king, a despot or a dictator.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025

If my sister Rachel and Mr. William Shakespeare put their heads together to invent an extravagant despot, they couldn’t outdo Mobutu.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver