oppress

verb

op·​press ə-ˈpres 

oppressed; oppressing; oppresses

transitive verb

1

a

: to crush or burden by abuse of power or authority

The country has long been oppressed by a ruthless dictator.

oppressed minorities

b

archaic : suppress

2

: to burden spiritually or mentally : weigh heavily upon

oppressed by a sense of failure

oppress by intolerable guilt

oppressor

ə-ˈpre-sər 

noun

Synonyms

• bum (out)
• burden
• dash
• deject
• depress
• get down
• sadden
• weigh down

Choose the Right Synonym for oppress

wrong, oppress, persecute, aggrieve mean to injure unjustly or outrageously.

wrong implies inflicting injury either unmerited or out of proportion to what one deserves.

a penal system that had wronged him

oppress suggests inhumane imposing of burdens one cannot endure or exacting more than one can perform.

a people oppressed by a warmongering tyrant

persecute implies a relentless and unremitting subjection to annoyance or suffering.

a child persecuted by constant criticism

aggrieve implies suffering caused by an infringement or denial of rights.

a legal aid society representing aggrieved minority groups

Examples of oppress in a Sentence

The country has long been oppressed by a ruthless dictator.

They condemned attempts by the government to oppress its citizens.

people who have traditionally been oppressed by society

Recent Examples on the Web

In a country that has historically and systematically oppressed Black people, denying them opportunities to generate or maintain generational wealth, Nelson views wearing jewelry as much as a daily ritual as a celebration of how much the community has overcome and continues to fight against. —Amaya McDonald, ARTnews.com, 12 July 2024

These leaders say contributions 'systemically oppressed' When is monsoon season in Arizona? The Arizona monsoon season starts approximately in June and continues through September. —Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 9 July 2024

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the dictatorships and the many ways in which neocolonialism and the setting up of a power structure that still oppresses Africans is happening at the moment. —Sean Illing, Vox, 6 July 2024

First, members of the Russian Federal Security Service would get Russian speakers in one of the two countries to claim they are being oppressed by a neo-Nazi government and are in need of the Kremlin’s aid. —Mikhail Zygar, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English oppressen "to put pressure on, crush, burden, overwhelm," borrowed from Anglo-French oppresser, borrowed from Medieval Latin oppressāre, frequentative derivative from Latin oppressus, past participle of opprimere "to press on, stifle, overpower," from ob- ob- + premere "to press" — more at press entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

oppress

verb

op·​press ə-ˈpres 

1

: to control or rule in a harsh or cruel way

a country oppressed by a dictator

2

: to cause to feel burdened in spirit

oppressed by grief

oppressor

-ˈpres-ər 

noun