downtrodden

adjective down·trod·den \ ˈdau̇n-ˈträ-dᵊn \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Examples: downtrodden in a Sentence

Definition of downtrodden

: suffering oppression

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Examples of downtrodden in a Sentence

They were poor and downtrodden.
a war that was supposed to liberate the downtrodden citizens of that nation

Recent Examples of downtrodden from the Web

The area outside TD Garden remained fairly orderly after the game, as fans streamed out of the arena in a sea of green — many with downtrodden looks on their faces.

— j.d. capelouto, BostonGlobe.com, "Downtrodden fans mourn tough end to surprisingly strong Celtics season," 28 May 2018
While Hollywood would likely have made this story all about the two beautiful youths who must fight for their love, Cocteau sees something to care about in the quickly fading, quietly downtrodden oldsters getting in their way.

— john defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Storm Within' ('Les Parents Terribles'): Film Review," 23 May 2018
The offseason’s most interesting man has reduced his choices to seven teams, including the smallish-market and historically downtrodden Padres.

— dennis lin, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Japanese star Shohei Ohtani would be big in San Diego (or anywhere else)," 6 Dec. 2017
Redevelopment agencies were first authorized by the state in 1945 as a way to revitalize downtrodden neighborhoods.

— emily alpert reyes, latimes.com, "When L.A. opted to fund city services over housing, did it help fuel a crisis?," 9 Apr. 2018
In them the laws of our familiar world are broken: Mild-mannered students become godlike creatures, mutants walk among us and untold power is, in an instant, granted to the most downtrodden.

— carvell wallace, New York Times, "Why ‘Black Panther’ Is a Defining Moment for Black America," 12 Feb. 2018
Dozens of similar guerrilla groups representing downtrodden ethnic minorities have been fighting the central government for decades, demanding greater autonomy.

— The Economist, "Myanmar’s government sits by while the army goes on the offensive," 17 May 2018
It was also praised on Gab, a social network popular with the alt-right—a loose agglomeration of groups with far-right ideologies—as a morality play about a downtrodden Aryan warrior.

— erich schwartzel, WSJ, "Making Movies in the Trump Era for the Audience Hollywood Ignored," 15 May 2018
The movie, both men agree, should help to humanize people’s perceptions of Baltimore, moving beyond the violent and downtrodden images that often show up in the national media.

— Washington Post, "With ‘Sollers Point,’ Baltimore filmmaker explores hometown," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'downtrodden.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.