as in persecuted
suffering grave abuse or injustice at the hands of one in authority
setting out on a quixotic quest to right wrongs and to raise up the oppressed peoples of the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in depressed
to make sad
this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
a film about a man who is haunted and oppressed by the secrets of his past
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oppressed
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
The tiny minority that held this fragile wealth has long needed protection, both from the vast numbers of oppressed people needed to extract it and from the federal government determined to protect them.
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USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Gratified right-wingers closely examined the charges and pointed to the prosecution as validation of their belief that conservative Christians across America are being oppressed by violent left-leaning protesters.
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Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Adjective
According to Ehrman, Jesus’s teachings universalized earlier Jewish ethics by extending the duty to care for the poor, oppressed, and needy beyond one’s own community to include all people.
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Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
The tiny minority that held this fragile wealth has long needed protection, both from the vast numbers of oppressed people needed to extract it and from the federal government determined to protect them.
—
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
The American origin story is rooted in the notion that George III was its vanquished villain, an irrational tyrant who oppressed the American colonists.
—
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Gratified right-wingers closely examined the charges and pointed to the prosecution as validation of their belief that conservative Christians across America are being oppressed by violent left-leaning protesters.
—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressed
Verb
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Rising costs of components, supply chain constraints, and weaker consumer demand that are all partly linked to the Iran war have depressed smartphone sales in much of the continent, resulting in the slowest growth of shipments to Africa in two years, research firm Omdia said.
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Two Democrats at the top would have depressed Republican turnout for other key races — especially for Congress — in the fall.
Verb
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In a world often overwhelmed by heartbreak and division, the story confirms that love has a way of continuing on.
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Knicks fans nearly overwhelmed it before the floats arrived.
Verb
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For in the last years of her life she will be troubled by terrible digestion and chronic bowel problems set off by a bout of grave illness, diagnosed as typhoid fever and gall-bladder disease, in the autumn of 1860.
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Since a tiny drone hit the Kremlin in May 2023, Moscow’s skyline has been troubled by Ukraine, even causing last month’s Victory Day parade to be scaled back dramatically.
Verb
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It was held just 22 years after the Great Chicago Fire devastated the city, but Chicago was determined to dominate the world stage.
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The South Florida community — home to the largest Venezuelan diaspora in the United States — is rallying to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes devastated the country Wednesday evening.
Verb
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Pluverge, an ice cream maker at Taste the Tropics, came to the United States on asylum after he was kidnapped and tortured by gang members in his home country.
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This is just one in a sweaty dungeon of hundreds of TikTok videos that show women being stalked, grabbed, tortured, tossed to the ground, and handcuffed by scary masked soldiers.
Verb
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In a rematch of the WNBA’s first-ever game from June 21, 1997, the Sparks overcame a 17-point Liberty lead, all while celebrating the inaugural matchup — and iconic alumni — that changed women’s sports forever.
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Leviatán were arguably considered underdogs in all these matches, but overcame the odds to make the final and set up a rematch against Paper Rex.
Verb
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In a city already destabilized by unlawful tax foreclosure, fraudsters found opportunity in homes burdened by vacancy and broken chains of ownership.
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In Orange County, 61% of renters are cost-burdened, and after years of rents climbing far faster than paychecks, the math no longer works.
Verb
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Phoenix crushed the Seattle Storm 93-73 in its last game, snapping a four-game losing skid.
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Royals first baseman Jac Caglianone crushed a home run to open the frame, and O’Brien hit catcher Salvador Perez with the very next pitch.
Cite this Entry
“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressed. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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