hear it again

1 : of or relating to Draco
2 : cruel; also : severe

Example sentence:
"These draconian disciplinary measures are completely unwarranted!" exclaimed Kara when her parents grounded her for coming home late.

Etymology:
According to ancient Athenian tradition, Draco was a lawgiver of the 7th century B.C., said to be when Greek law was first written down. Draco's code of law was famous for its harshness—most criminal offenses required the death penalty. Not long after Draco's rule ended, Solon, a famously wise statesman, abolished nearly all of Draco's punishments. Modern scholars are unsure if Draco or his code ever existed, but in any case, "draconian" remains in English as a synonym for "severe" in reference to laws or other measures taken by authority figures.