Meaning & use

Nero

proper noun·Academic

A Roman emperor who ruled from 54 to 68 CE, remembered for his cruelty, tyranny, and lavish extravagance.

See it in a sentence

Historians still debate how much of Nero's reputation for cruelty was exaggerated by his enemies.

Legend claims Nero fiddled while Rome burned, though most historians doubt this ever happened.

A note on using this word

Nero's name is often invoked today as shorthand for a leader who is indifferent to a crisis unfolding around them.

Words with a similar meaning

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