put-upon

adjective

put-up·​on ˈpu̇t-ə-ˌpȯn How to pronounce put-upon (audio)
-ˌpän
: imposed upon : taken advantage of

Examples of put-upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The novel is more interested in relationships among a constellation of women: Emma Horton, a young mother with unrealized literary ambitions; her friend Patsy; her vexing, charismatic mother, Aurora; and Aurora’s put-upon housekeeper, Rosie. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023 Mother, Couch begins with promise, though, and sparks of dry humor in the personality clash between McGregor’s put-upon David and his older brother, Gruffudd (Ifans), who’s as loose as David is tightly wound. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2023 The 10-episode series, developed for the streamer by Onyx Collective, is based on Zakiya Dalila Harris’s best-selling 2021 novel of the same name and follows Nella Rogers (Sinclair Daniel), a put-upon editorial assistant, as the rat race leads her down unexpected paths. Leigh-Ann Jackson, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2023 Enrique Duenas is King Arthur’s devoted if put-upon servant Patsy. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 Revolving around our beloved, put-upon protagonist returning to her deceased father’s homeland to perform one final favor, this threequel is surprisingly lifeless and almost laugh-less. Courtney Howard, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023 Eventually, the put-upon Redelmo steals his way across the room and ducks through a doorway. James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023 Matarazzo co-stars as Tobias, a put-upon orphan in 19th-century London who's taken in by Mrs. Lovett (Annaleigh Ashford), a screwball baker and accomplice to homicidal barber Sweeney Todd (Josh Groban). Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2023 Peter Pan’s closest thing to a hero might be the show within a show’s put-upon stage manager (Chris Leask), who wanders through the background of scenes fixing the lighting and unsticking the actors before being thrust into a starring role himself. Vulture, 19 Apr. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of put-upon was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near put-upon

Cite this Entry

“Put-upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put-upon. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

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