noun
overlord
OH-vuh-lawd
noun
1
A ruler who holds power over other rulers or lower authorities.
"The regional kings paid tribute to their overlord."
2
Anyone who wields sweeping power or control over a particular domain.
"He joked about being the office snack overlord."
How to Use Overlord
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA supreme ruler or controller — used seriously in history and jokingly in everyday speech.
Common pairings
feudal overlord
evil overlord
tech overlord
Word Forms
overlorded past tense, overlords plural, overlords singular
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The regional kings paid tribute to their _____.
Etymology
From Middle English variants like oferrlaferrd, built from over- + lord.