--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...the greatest tyrants over women are…" description: "\"...the greatest tyrants over women are women.\" — William Makepeace Thackeray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_tyrants_the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-wome_2050203.jpg" --- # ...the greatest tyrants over women are women. ![“...the greatest tyrants over women are women.” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_tyrants_the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-wome_2050203.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_tyrants_the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-wome_2050203.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_tyrants_the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-wome_2050203.jpg) > “...the greatest tyrants over women are women.” [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women can be the most oppressive forces toward other women, mirroring patriarchal tyranny. **In simple terms:** Women can dominate other women. Key Takeaway Beware of internalized oppression. Themes gender dynamics power oppression Mood critical analytical Type sociological philosophical When to use this quote - workplace politics - family relations - social movements Key Concepts feminist theory social hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - How does this manifest in your environment? - What can break cycles of female‑to‑female dominance? A Different Perspective Not all oppression is gender‑based. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Greatest Tyrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-tyrants-266660/) [Tyrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrants/) [Tyrants Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrants-women-3859293/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) [Women Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-women/) ## Related quotes > [“Many of the greatest tyrants on the records of history have begun their reigns in the fairest manner. But the truth is, this unnatural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/many-of-the-greatest-tyrants-on-the-records-of-history-have-begun/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Many of the greatest tyrants on the records of history have begun their reigns in the fairest manner. But the truth is, this unnatural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/many-of-the-greatest-tyrants-on-the-records-of-history-have-begun-2/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I think it's great for the women to show that they are women and be feminine. And that's something that I've always promoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/i-think-it-s-great-for-the-women-to-show-that-they-are-women-and-be/) [Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/) > [Listen to the women. Women say exactly what they want. Who has concrete plans - not macroeconomics but kitchen table economics. Who will change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celinda-lake/listen-to-the-women-women-say-exactly-what-they-want-who-has-concrete/) [Celinda Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celinda-lake/) > [Women are women and can't help themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-john-locke/women-are-women-and-can-t-help-themselves/) [William John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-john-locke/) > [We've shown again and again, in every UN report on the status of women, that wherever women control their own bodies and have access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/we-ve-shown-again-and-again-in-every-un-report-on-the-status-of-women/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Everyone knows 'Little Women.' Most women love it if they've read it. If they haven't, they might love the movie, or they've heard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/everyone-knows-little-women-most-women-love-it-if-they-ve-read-it-if/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [“The most loving women are the women who will test you the most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/the-most-loving-women-are-the-women-who-will-test-you-the-most/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [I've had it with those women - women! - who seek to undermine the serious work of women in Israeli politics by describing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/i-ve-had-it-with-those-women-women-who-seek-to-undermine-the-serious/) [Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/) > [Classy and classic women are the women to go for .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/classy-and-classic-women-are-the-women-to-go-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We want to see 'real' women. Women who represent us, who are the same as us, who look and feel and seem like us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-scanlon/we-want-to-see-real-women-women-who-represent-us-who-are-the-same-as/) [Angela Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-scanlon/) > [Men don't oppress women any more than women oppress men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-don-t-oppress-women-any-more-than-women-oppress-men/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [Women? Women are like...thunderstorms. They're beautiful to look at, and sometimes they're nice to listen to-but most of the time they're just plain inconvenient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/women-women-are-like-thunderstorms-they-re-beautiful-to-look-at-and/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Women- except in abstract gatherings such as conferences- do not use "we"; men say "women," and women adopt this word to refer to themselves;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/women-except-in-abstract-gatherings-such-as-conferences-do-not-use-we/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [Women, ever since there have been women, have had a way of being people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-riding/women-ever-since-there-have-been-women-have-had-a-way-of-being-people/) [Laura Riding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-riding/) ## More by William Makepeace Thackeray > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [As nature made every man with a nose and eyes of his own, she gave him a character of his own, too; and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/as-nature-made-every-man-with-a-nose-and-eyes-of-his-own-she-gave-him/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [It is best to love wisely, no doubt; but to love foolishly is better than not to be able to love at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/it-is-best-to-love-wisely-no-doubt-but-to-love-foolishly-is-better/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Diffidence is a sort of false modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/diffidence-is-a-sort-of-false-modesty/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Our great thoughts, our great affections, the truths of our life, never leave us. Surely they can not separate from our consciousness, shall follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/our-great-thoughts-our-great-affections-the-truths-of-our-life-never/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/charming-alnaschar-visions-it-is-the-happy-privilege-of-youth-to/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [To see a young couple loving each other is no wonder; but to see an old couple loving each other is the best sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-see-a-young-couple-loving-each-other-is-no-wonder-but-to-see-an/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [An immense percentage of snobs, I believe, is to be found in every rank of this mortal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/an-immense-percentage-of-snobs-i-believe-is-to-be-found-in-every-rank/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Vanity is often the unseen spur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-is-often-the-unseen-spur/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [A good laugh is sunshine in the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-good-laugh-is-sunshine-in-the-house/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Novelty has charms that our minds can hardly withstand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/novelty-has-charms-that-our-minds-can-hardly-withstand/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“Picture to yourself, O fair young reader, a worldly, selfish, graceless, thankless, religionless old woman, writhing in pain and fear, and without her wig.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/picture-to-yourself-o-fair-young-reader-a-worldly-selfish-graceless/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Certain opuscules, denominated 'Christmas Books,' with the ostensible intention of swelling the tide of exhilaration, or other expansive emotions, incident upon the exodus of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/certain-opuscules-denominated-christmas-books-with-the-ostensible/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Explore all 384 William Makepeace Thackeray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## More Feminism quotes > [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“This story is not at all an uncommon one in tech circles, including gaming. The popular notion is that women who get ahead must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/this-story-is-not-at-all-an-uncommon-one-in-tech-circles-including/) [Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/) > [Without meaning to sound anti-men, ghastly women are the closest you get to a male role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-burke/without-meaning-to-sound-anti-men-ghastly-women-are-the-closest-you/) [Kathy Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-burke/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) [Joseph Joffre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joffre/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“there was something of the women molded into the great, stalwart frame of Hollingsworth; nor was he ashamed of it; as men often are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/there-was-something-of-the-women-molded-into-the-great-stalwart-frame/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. Ask Richard Burton or Richie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/women-rule-the-world-it-s-not-really-worth-fighting-because-they-know/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [“Bármilyen idiótának, aki azt kérdezi: „Feminista vagy? Akkor elégeted a melltartóidat, mi? HE? Melltartókat égetsz, te feminista?” – szép nyugodtan így kell válaszolni: „Ostoba.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/b-rmilyen-idi-t-nak-aki-azt-k-rdezi-feminista-vagy-akkor-el-geted-a/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/susan-b-anthony-must-be-turning-in-her-grave-if-she-knew-that/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) [Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/) [Browse all 15,705 Feminism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "...the greatest tyrants over women are women.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Makepeace Thackeray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-women/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feminism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-women/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_tyrants_the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-wome_2050203.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_tyrants_the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-wome_2050203.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_tyrants_the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-wome_2050203.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...the greatest tyrants over women are women.” — William Makepeace Thackeray", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Makepeace Thackeray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "...the greatest tyrants over women are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-women/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/the-greatest-tyrants-over-women-are-women/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```