as in oppressed
suffering grave abuse or injustice at the hands of one in authority
a war that was supposed to liberate the downtrodden citizens of that nation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of downtrodden
Jackson hoped that the exhibition would counter the misconception that medieval women were universally downtrodden drudges.
—
Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
What’s the most downtrodden and persecuted minority in America?
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
The screening will mark the UK premiere of Macon Blair’s remake about a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze (Game Of Thrones star Dinklage), who is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, and is transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 June 2025
Helping the poor and downtrodden is central to Catholic teaching, a mission Pope Francis elevated.
—Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for downtrodden
Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
What’s the most downtrodden and persecuted minority in America?
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
The screening will mark the UK premiere of Macon Blair’s remake about a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze (Game Of Thrones star Dinklage), who is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, and is transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 June 2025
Helping the poor and downtrodden is central to Catholic teaching, a mission Pope Francis elevated.
—Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for downtrodden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downtrodden
oppressed
Adjective
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The story primarily follows orphaned sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder/Jinx (Ella Purnell), who get caught in the clash between a wealthy utopia and its oppressed underbelly.—
Huntley Woods,
EW.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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My hope is that people will rally behind my message, and the Pride Warriors can be used as a tool to unite the LGBTQA community, both with each other, and with other marginalised and oppressed communities such as people of color, immigrants, and women.—
Gary Adrian Randall,
Denver Post,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Downtrodden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downtrodden. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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