aggrieve

Definition of aggrievenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb aggrieve differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of aggrieve are oppress, persecute, and wrong. While all these words mean "to injure unjustly or outrageously," aggrieve implies suffering caused by an infringement or denial of rights.

a legal aid society representing aggrieved minority groups

When can oppress be used instead of aggrieve?

While in some cases nearly identical to aggrieve, oppress suggests inhumane imposing of burdens one cannot endure or exacting more than one can perform.

a people oppressed by a warmongering tyrant

In what contexts can persecute take the place of aggrieve?

Although the words persecute and aggrieve have much in common, persecute implies a relentless and unremitting subjection to annoyance or suffering.

a child persecuted by constant criticism

Where would wrong be a reasonable alternative to aggrieve?

The words wrong and aggrieve can be used in similar contexts, but wrong implies inflicting injury either unmerited or out of proportion to what one deserves.

a penal system that had wronged him

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of aggrieve British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a chemicals magnate and an avid outdoorsman, was aggrieved when Land Rover replaced its rugged and rudimentary old Defender with a design that shares its engineering principles with current passenger cars. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2023 Amazon prohibits class action lawsuits in which aggrieved sellers can aggregate their claims and have their case decided by a judge or a jury. Sandeep Vaheesan, The New Republic, 28 Feb. 2023 He was aggrieved when Hitler, in an attempt to make the National Socialists more palatable to the middle class, opposed the Rural People’s Movement, a popular anti-Weimar tax revolt, which was commendably trying to blow up buildings in Berlin. Thomas Meaney, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Feb. 2023 Foreigners who aggrieve the Chinese Communist Party seriously enough typically get banned from the country. Tiffany Ap, Quartz, 4 Feb. 2022 See All Example Sentences for aggrieve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggrieve
Verb
  • At a bar not far from Aghayeva’s dorm, a music-education scholar was perturbed, despite having been born in California.
    Jane Bua, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
  • We're not perturbed by the stock's back-to-back weak sessions following the earnings report .
    Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The statement did not include what skin condition requiring a prescription is afflicting Trump, but causes could include eczema, an allergic reaction caused by food or medication, shingles and others.
    David Matthews, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Put simply, notaming deficits through a balance of revenue increases and lower spending, but abandoning spending discipline, the curse that afflicts Europe to this day.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Her images of ice blocks, lush fabrics, cherries, sea animals, and charred hearts are disquieting in the best way and well worth trekking to Santa Monica to witness in person.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2026
  • To say that Nicholas did not share his father’s politics is an understatement, but much of his bibliography can be seen as a reckoning with his father’s unsettling career in politics and disquieting legacy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • But no, Tommy will not be moved, wallowing in grief for his young daughter and tormented by the death of his brother Arthur, ostensibly a suicide.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Then in January, the Iranian people by the millions took to the streets, demanding freedom and an end to the dictatorship which has tormented them since 1979.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In a third discomposing show of baseball in as many days, the Brewers fell, 8-6, to the lowly A's, who looked like anything but in an emphatic weekend-long dismantling of a team that entered in first place.
    Journal Sentinel, Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2023
Verb
  • An additional 20,000 men on both sides were maimed, crippled or otherwise wounded.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
  • If fentanyl production or the existence of a Jefferson Davis statue can be legally deemed public nuisances, why can’t a deluge of violent, masked, and armed people flooding the streets of a city, maiming, brutalizing, and even killing along the way?
    Aziz Huq, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The Spartans were upset by Winchester last state tournament.
    Marcello Rossetti, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
  • England’s top division is known for its competitive depth, meaning there is usually at least one upset every gameweek.
    Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • One of them was a person whose eight-month-old baby was tortured in front of his eyes.
    Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Crackdowns against the protesters killed hundreds, and hundreds more were arrested amid reports of detainees tortured to death or raped in prison.
    Lee Keath, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Aggrieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggrieve. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

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