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
  • The mayor was less perturbed, suggesting that throwing a snowball should not result in criminal charges.
    New York Times, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Wait a few hundred-thousand years, and another star will drift into our Oort cloud, perturbing it and potentially triggering new comets arriving in our inner Solar System.
    Big Think, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • These are important messages for a world afflicted by war and division.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2026
  • The idea that anyone not afflicted by a death wish might initiate a high-speed accident with a thirty-eight-ton tractor-trailer seemed ludicrous.
    Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The impersonations were disquieting.
    Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • May 2026 will mark five years of me being free from drugs, alcohol, and the mental illness that tormented me for years.
    Midsi Sanchez, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Continuing his comeback from brain surgery in September 2023, Woodland experienced no problems with PTSD, a frightening condition that has tormented him off and on the past several months.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 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
  • The LaMunyons’ location was maimed in January when a Ford F150 collided into the restaurant.
    Jenna Thompson April 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
  • About this many children have been killed or maimed in the war, according to UNICEF.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • If the proverbial switch is flipped and the Wolves upset Denver, there will be little reason to doubt this team going forward, whether in these playoffs or seasons to come.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Cade realized the players were sweating out electrolytes — another word for minerals like sodium, potassium and magnesium — and upsetting the body’s chemical balance.
    Dee-Ann Durbin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • As the governments of US and Iran try to negotiate a peace deal, many Iranians are still being arrested, tortured and executed, according to rights groups.
    Dana Karni, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
  • In December 2019, an immigration judge granted Rivera Ortega protection under the Convention Against Torture, a United Nations treaty designed to protect people who could be tortured if deported.
    Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Aggrieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggrieve. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.

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