1.
tyranny; oppressive rule; despotic government
Cruel and oppressive governance that abuses power and causes suffering to the people. Used in historical, political, and literary contexts.
民衆は虐政に苦しんだ。
The people suffered under tyrannical rule.
虐政に対する民衆の怒りが革命につながった。
The people's anger at oppressive rule led to revolution.
歴史を振り返ると、虐政を敷いた政権は長くは続かないことが多い。
Looking back at history, regimes that imposed tyrannical rule often did not last long.
Combines 虐 (cruelty, oppression) and 政 (government, politics). A literary and historical term often encountered in texts about revolutions, feudal history, and political philosophy.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 虐政を敷く: to impose tyrannical rule
- 虐政に苦しむ: to suffer under oppressive rule
- 虐政に立ち向かう: to stand up against tyranny
- 虐政からの解放: liberation from oppressive rule
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 暴政: tyranny, despotism — very close synonym, with 暴 emphasizing violence rather than cruelty
- 悪政: misrule, bad governance — broader term covering any incompetent or harmful rule, not necessarily cruel
- 圧政: oppressive government — emphasizes suppression and control