Someone who holds great power over many people, and over other powerful people too. The original use is historical: in the feudal world a lord ruled his own land, and the overlord was the lord ABOVE him — the one he had to obey, pay, and fight for.

Someone who holds great power over many people指的是一個對很多人握有極大權力的人, and over other powerful people too連其他有權有勢的人也管得到。The original use is historical最初的用法是歷史上的: in the feudal world在封建時代, a lord ruled his own land一個領主統治自己的領地, and the overlord was the lord ABOVE him而overlord指的是在他之上的領主 — the one he had to obey, pay, and fight for也就是他必須服從、進貢，還要為其打仗的對象。

That is the sense you meet in history books about medieval Europe, and also in writing about empires: a foreign overlord, colonial overlords. It is a noun, and the feeling is nearly always negative — an overlord is a ruler you did not choose.

That is the sense you meet in history books about medieval Europe這是你在講中世紀歐洲的歷史書裡會遇到的意思, and also in writing about empires在講帝國的文章裡也是: a foreign overlord, colonial overlords像foreign overlord（外來的宗主）、colonial overlords（殖民的統治者）。It is a noun它是名詞, and the feeling is nearly always negative語感幾乎都是負面的 — an overlord is a ruler you did not chooseoverlord是你沒得選擇的統治者。

Two modern uses grew out of that. Journalists borrow it, half-jokingly, for anyone with too much power in their world: media overlords, tech overlords, "our new corporate overlords". And science fiction, fantasy, and video games use it constantly for dark rulers and final bosses, which is where most young learners first meet the word.

Two modern uses grew out of that從這裡發展出兩個現代用法。Journalists borrow it記者會借用這個詞, half-jokingly半開玩笑地, for anyone with too much power in their world來說某個領域裡權力大得過頭的人: media overlords, tech overlords, "our new corporate overlords"像media overlords（媒體霸主）、tech overlords（科技霸主）、"our new corporate overlords"（我們新的企業霸主）。And science fiction, fantasy, and video games而科幻、奇幻和電玩 use it constantly for dark rulers and final bosses則一直拿它來稱呼黑暗統治者和最終大魔王, which is where most young learners first meet the word大多數年輕學習者也是從這裡最先認識這個詞的。

There is also a rarer verb, to overlord, meaning to rule over or boss around, but you can safely leave that one alone.

There is also還有 a rarer verb, to overlord一個比較少見的動詞to overlord, meaning to rule over or boss around意思是統治、對人發號施令, but you can safely leave that one alone不過這個用法你可以放心先不用管。