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
Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
One answer was to build a Jewish state; the other, to fight for the emancipation of all oppressed people through universalist, often left-wing, politics.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
However, when your organization was founded less than 45 years after slavery was abolished, when Black women were still being forced to be wet nurses to the very children of those who oppressed them and lynching was a common occurrence below the Mason-Dixon Line?
—Essence, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Adjective
One of the reasons why Muslims fast during Ramadan is to remember those who are oppressed or suffering, and to share in those emotions.
—Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
One answer was to build a Jewish state; the other, to fight for the emancipation of all oppressed people through universalist, often left-wing, politics.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
The men are seen as misogynistic, and the women are oppressed.
—Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
However, when your organization was founded less than 45 years after slavery was abolished, when Black women were still being forced to be wet nurses to the very children of those who oppressed them and lynching was a common occurrence below the Mason-Dixon Line?
—Essence, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressed
Verb
-
Gradually freed of the weight of its ice, the rock beneath Greenland, long depressed by the massive ice sheet, rebounds.—
Paul Bierman,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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José said that the song depressed him.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Those bold trunks of synapses, instead of the sleek connections most people have, mean that Kaylie can be overwhelmed by the flood of input coming her way.—
Becky Quick,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
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Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl as Mendoza passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.—
Charles Odum,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Offshore shell companies can serve both illicit and legitimate purposes, and the bank said it was troubled by the nominee shareholders who were designated to make decisions about the shell company.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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But people all over the country are increasingly troubled by our government’s lack of fairness and due process and want to do something about it.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After it was revealed that Vince didn't make it out of the inferno, his son Bode (Max Thieriot) and wife Sharon (Diane Farr) were devastated by the loss.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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The war has devastated parts of Ukraine’s medical infrastructure.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The attorneys for the Department of Justice argued that the preliminary injunction blocking Abrego Garcia’s removal to Liberia should be dissolved because the government received assurances from the government of the West African country that he will not be persecuted or tortured.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
8 Nov. 2025
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Of the few that have arrived in what Saraf describes as a small agricultural town, many have reported being beaten and tortured by different militia groups stationed along the treacherous route between El Fasher and Tawila.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Keldon Johnson had 27 points, Victor Wembanyama added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists from Luka Doncic to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-91 on Wednesday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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In 2017, for instance, prosecutors in Contra Costa overcame an insanity defense by William Shultz, who murdered a 9-year-old Discovery Bay boy during a sleepover and blamed it on a delusion about an impending World War III.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As Johnson County continues to lose its attainable housing stock, which refers to homes that are $300,000 or less, more residents are feeling burdened by the rising costs of living.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
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Nationwide, about 100 million people have some form of health care debt, with millions burdened by $10,000 or more in unpaid bills.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And Johnson can’t erase the imagery of poor Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham, a top-5 pick, bursting through the B-gap at the snap only to be crushed by guard Jonah Jackson.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Hodges was trapped, his whole body getting crushed.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressed. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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