Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

despot

/ˈdɛs.pət/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.68 in modern English

Syllables: despot
IPA: /ˈdɛs.pət/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A ruler with absolute power; a tyrant.

noun

A title awarded to senior members of the imperial family in the late Byzantine Empire, and claimed by various independent or semi-autonomous rulers in the Balkans (12th to 15th centuries)

Example Sentences

"The Red Holocaust is best interpreted in this light as the bitter fruit of an^([sic]) utopian gambit that was socially misengineered into a dystopic nightmare by despots in humanitarian disguise."

Etymology

From Middle French despote, from Old French despote, from Medieval Latin despota, from Ancient Greek δεσπότης (despótēs, “lord, master, owner”). Cognate with Sanskrit दम्पति (dámpati).

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: *dem-, despote, despota, δεσπότης

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈdɛs.pət/
British English: /ˈdɛs.pɒt/

Inflected Forms

despots (plural)

Derived Forms

archdespot despotat despotate despotess despotic despotical despotism despotist despotize despotocracy despotry

Synonyms

tyrant autocrat

Questions

How do you pronounce despot?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɛs.pət/.
What does despot mean?: A ruler with absolute power; a tyrant.
Where does despot come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce despot

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “despot”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdɛs.pət/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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