gestapo

noun/ɡəˈstɑpoʊ/

Frequency rank: #11,596 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

A secret police force known for brutal and oppressive methods; originally the secret state police of Nazi Germany.

Illustration for the English word “gestapo”

Example sentence

The corrupt official ran his department like the gestapo, intimidating anyone who dared to question him.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 11,501–11,600