pharaoh

noun

pha·​raoh ˈfer-(ˌ)ō  ˈfā-(ˌ)rō 

often capitalized

1

: a ruler of ancient Egypt

2

: tyrant

Synonyms

• caesar
• despot
• dictator
• führer
• fuehrer
• oppressor
• strongman
• tyrannizer
• tyrant

Examples of pharaoh in a Sentence

like some pharaoh of a third-world country, more interested in building monuments to himself than in creating a future for his people

Recent Examples on the Web

The Great Pyramids of Giza soar above the desert to illustrate the power and importance of the pharaohs buried there. —Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 11 June 2024

Whereas the pharaohs, in a symbolic ritual, used to eat the gods, today's ordinary Egyptians are preparing to consume their pharaoh-like leader and bestow on themselves the gift of democracy. —Robert Zaretsky, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2011

Traces of the second sarcophagus were found as alabaster fragments during restoration work performed in the pharaoh’s tomb in the 1990s. —Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 10 June 2024

Escaping persecution Lessons about oppression against Jews throughout history — the pharaoh, the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Soviet pogroms and Nazism — remain at the forefront of the Seder. —Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pharao, from Old English, from Late Latin pharaon-, pharao, from Greek pharaō, from Hebrew parʽōh, from Egyptian pr-ʽʾ̹

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pharaoh

• pharaoh ant

Kids Definition

pharaoh

noun

pha·​raoh ˈfe(ə)r-ō  ˈfa(ə)r- 

ˈfā-rō

often capitalized

: a ruler of ancient Egypt

Etymology

Old English pharao "pharaoh," from Latin pharaon-, pharao (same meaning), from Greek pharaō (same meaning), from Hebrew par'ōh "pharaoh," of Egyptian origin