ayatollah

noun

aya·tol·lah ˌī-ə-ˈtō-lə

-ˈtä-

-ˈtə-,

ˈī-ə-ˌtō-,

-ˌtä-,

-ˌtə-

: a religious leader among Shiite Muslims

—used as a title of respect especially for one who is not an imam

Examples of ayatollah in a Sentence

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The critical news, which may save Syria from a relapse into violence: Assad’s flight to exile in Moscow is a body blow to Iran’s ayatollahs and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, for whom Syria had critical importance. —

Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Dec. 2024 Those same ayatollahs see the United States as the 'Big Satan. —

Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 The same for the attacks by the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, all doing Tehran’s bidding, while leaving the ayatollah out of the direct fight. —

New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2024 The ayatollahs in Iran regularly call Israel the 'Little Satan' and deploy a broad and well-equipped terrorist infrastructure against it. —

Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ayatollah