tirano
/tiˈɾano/masculine
The English word 'tyrant' is translated into Spanish as tirano.
A tirano is a harsh and cruel ruler.
Meaning: harsh and cruel ruler (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the word cacique can refer to a tyrant or an authoritarian leader.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is tirano. The feminine singular form is tirana. For masculine plural, use tiranos and for feminine plural, use tiranas.
How do you pronounce it?
/tiˈɾano/
Did you know?
- The word cacique can mean tyrant in Spain, but it originates from the title of indigenous tribal chiefs in the Americas.
- While tirano describes a political ruler, the word tirana can also be used colloquially in some Spanish-speaking countries to describe a woman who is bossy or controlling in a domestic setting.
- The English word 'tyrant' and the Spanish tirano both trace their lineage back to the Ancient Greek word túrannos, which originally meant an absolute ruler without necessarily implying cruelty.
Examples in context
- ¡El tiempo es un tirano!Time is a tyrant!This example shows the use of tirano to personify time.Tatoeba #1826502 by teskmon, translation #794924 by DJ_Saidez
- Hoy un niño rey, mañana un tirano.Today a child acting like a king, tomorrow a tyrant.This example uses tirano to describe a person's character development.Tatoeba #2530480 by marcelostockle, translation #2530484 by Dejo
- Ellos estaban bajo el yugo de un tirano.They were under the yoke of a tyrant.This example illustrates the use of tirano when describing a state of oppression.Tatoeba #1111678 by hayastan, translation #307547 by rul
- El dictador fue conocido por ser un tirano despiadado.The dictator was known for being a ruthless tyrant.
- La maestra de la guardería dijo que mi hijo se comporta como un pequeño tirano.The daycare teacher said that my son behaves like a little tyrant.
- El dictador gobernó con puño de hierro durante décadas.The tyrant ruled with an iron fist for decades.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are discussing a history book.
- DanielEste rey fue un tirano con su pueblo.This king was a tyrant with his people.
- SofíaSí, Daniel, cometió muchos crímenes terribles.Yes, Daniel, he committed many terrible crimes.
- DanielNadie podía soportar a ese tirano.Nobody could stand that tyrant.
- SofíaPor eso hubo una revolución contra él.That is why there was a revolution against him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tyrant” translations and entries tirano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tirano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
