oppress

verb

op·​press ə-ˈpres How to pronounce oppress (audio)
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 noun
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 Many formerly enslaved people were denied citizenship by the states, despite being born in the country, in an effort to continue to oppress them. Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 The belief in good over evil and the belief that oppressed people cannot be oppressed all the time. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024 The retraction of the essay comes as a new generation of activists in the literary world frames the conflict in the Middle East as a black-and-white battle between two sides — oppressor and oppressed — and pressures institutions to boycott Israeli or Zionist writers. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Many shared a common story: They had been born, lived or worked in Ukraine; and they had been oppressed, exiled or killed by Russia. Constant Méheut, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 But Hisham was tired of feeling humiliated and oppressed. Rozina Ali, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 South Africa has compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza to the treatment of Black South Africans during apartheid, framing the issues as fundamentally about people oppressed in their homeland. Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 25 Feb. 2024 Palestinians have been oppressed, isolated and traumatized in a war that Israel has long been waging before this latest declaration. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2024 Playtime Feeling oppressed in a world devoid of emotions and limited to chores and expectations, a young married woman in 1750 rural Austria commits a shocking act of violence. Ed Meza, Variety, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oppress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of oppress was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near oppress

Cite this Entry

“Oppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oppress. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

oppress

verb
op·​press ə-ˈpres How to pronounce oppress (audio)
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 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on oppress

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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