aggrieve

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
  • That unanswered question perturbed Commissioner Pamela Beasley-Pittman.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 9 June 2025
  • But VMware users may also be perturbed to find themselves without a VMware solution provider.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • To put it into perspective, the National Organization for Rare Disorders estimates that one person on every elevator and four people on every bus are afflicted.
    Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
  • Those afflicted with sickle cell disease and their families turned out in support of World Sickle Cell Day at West Oakland’s DeFremery Park on Sunday.
    Jane Tyska, Mercury News, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Vessel’s lyrics seem disquieted by the attention, though.
    August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
  • Many here see her as the embodiment of an America undergoing a cultural shift that threatens the heritage and political sensibilities of an old frontier town disquieted by changing times and suspicious of alternative lifestyles.
    Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • And Soto will continue to make life difficult for the NL East as well, tormenting opposing pitchers for the next 15 years.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
  • The story follows a man who inherits his father’s auto repair shop and tries to turn it around, aided and tormented by his cousin, Shane.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Since 2007, at least 922 humpback whales have been maimed or killed by these ropes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    Elizabeth Cook, CBS News, 15 May 2025
  • Reality, however, doesn’t require sci-fi zombies — fungi that maim and kill people are quickly spreading in the world today.
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
Verb
  • In its filing, Tesla urged coordination between government and industry to minimize uncertainty that could upset supply chains, citing its ties to Asia, Europe and Africa.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 June 2025
  • The Gary Housing Authority Executive Director charged with two counts of strangulation and two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery was upset over a relative in the house cooking food, court documents show.
    Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • There are Holocaust survivors, there are children who were taken, there are people being starved and tortured and raped who have no access to the Red Cross.
    Andrew Goldman, Vulture, 16 June 2025
  • Owens wrote that his client didn’t seek out a criminal lifestyle but became indebted to a criminal organization that paid his ransom after he was kidnapped and tortured.
    City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Even in consumer SaaS, shipping without user research or QA can alienate early adopters.
    Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • The democratic socialist's platform could alienate centrist Democrats and independents critical in pushing him past the finish line in November.
    Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Aggrieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggrieve. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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