draconian

See also: Draconian

English

WOTD – 16 May 2009

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɹəˈkəʊ.ni.ən/, /dɹækˈəʊ.ni.ən/
• (US) enPR: drā-kō'ni-ən, drə-, IPA^(key): /dɹeɪˈkoʊ.ni.ən/, /dɹəˈkoʊ.ni.ən/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -əʊniən

Etymology 1

From Latin Dracō (stem Dracōn-) +‎ -ian,^[1] from Ancient Greek Δράκων (Drákōn), after the Athenian lawmaker Draco, known for making harsh laws. See δράκων (drákōn, “dragon”).

Alternative forms

• Draconian

Adjective

draconian (comparative more draconian, superlative most draconian)

1. Very severe, cruel, or harsh.

   Synonyms: draconic, draconical (both rare, dated), Orwellian, rigid, rigorous, strict, stringent

   The Soviet regime was draconian.

   The mayor announced draconian budget cuts today.

   • 2009, Stuart Macintyre, A Concise History of Australia, page 125:

     The conflict in the countryside resulted in a far more draconian punishment. The Southern Cross flag flew over the camps of striking shearers, who in revenge for their victimisation burned grass, fences, buildings and even riverboats […]

   • 2020 April 8, Howard Johnston, “East-ended? When the ECML was at risk”, in Rail, page 65:

     Perhaps lessons had already been learned from the Draconian infrastructure cuts on the Waterloo-Exeter route.

   • 2023 May 8, Jonathan Head, “Thailand election: The young radicals shaking up politics”, in BBC News (World)‎:

     And that movement, while it was eventually crushed through the extensive use of the draconian lese majeste law, shattered the taboo, by calling openly, for the first time, for the powers and financing of the monarchy to be accountable.

Derived terms

• draconianism
• draconianly

Translations

severe, oppressive or strict

Afrikaans: drakonies Arabic: شَدِيد الْقُسْوَة (šadīd al-quswa) Armenian: դրակոնյան (hy) (drakonyan) Bulgarian: драконовски (drakonovski) Catalan: draconià (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 嚴苛的 / 严苛的 Czech: drakonický (cs) Dutch: draconisch (nl) Esperanto: drakona Finnish: erittäin ankara, drakoninen (fi) French: draconien (fr) Galician: draconiano (gl) German: drakonisch (de), drastisch (de), entschieden (de) Greek: δρακόντειος (el) (drakónteios) Hungarian: drákói (hu) Ido: drakonala (io) Irish: danartha Italian: draconiano (it) Korean: 엄격(嚴格)하다 (ko) (eomgyeokhada) Macedonian: драконски m (drakonski) Polish: drakoński (pl) Portuguese: draconiano (pt) Russian: драко́новский (ru) (drakónovskij) Spanish: draconiano (es) Swedish: drakonisk (sv) Ukrainian: драко́нівський (drakónivsʹkyj)

Etymology 2

From Latin dracō (“dragon”) (stem dracōn-) +‎ -ian.

Adjective

draconian (comparative more draconian, superlative most draconian)

1. (obsolete, except in fiction) Of or resembling a dragon.
   • 2006, Steven Erikson, Deadhouse Gates, Book Two, →ISBN, page 384:

     The dragon came low to the earth. It defied every image of a draconian being Kulp had ever seen.

   • 2009, Jacob Silvia, Qhoenix, page 73:

     A large sandwyrm (which isn't to be confused with a sandworm) popped its draconian head from the earth.

Synonyms

• (resembling a dragon): draconic, draconine, dragonish, dragonlike, dragony

Translations

of or resembling a dragon

Finnish: lohikäärmemäinen Ido: drakala Macedonian: змејски m (zmejski) Russian: драко́ний (ru) (drakónij), драко́новский (ru) (drakónovskij)

References

1. “Draconian, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Anagrams

• Conradian, Rinconada, noncardia

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French draconien.

Adjective

draconian m or n (feminine singular draconiană, masculine plural draconieni, feminine and neuter plural draconiene)

1. draconian

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	draconian		draconiană		draconieni	draconiene
	definite	draconianul		draconiana		draconienii	draconienele
genitive- dative	indefinite	draconian		draconiene		draconieni	draconiene
	definite	draconianului		draconienei		draconienilor	draconienelor