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

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 downtrodden After the game, a downtrodden Lindor took more than his fair share of the blame for how far this Mets team has fallen. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025 Now, the youngest generation of workers is especially downtrodden by their prospects, with 51% expressing remorse for getting their certificates, compared to 41% of millennials and 20% of baby boomers. Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2025 Can these Tigers simply hang on over the final two months of the season to win a downtrodden division? Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 Aug. 2025 Brewer will play Audrey, the sweet but downtrodden flower shop worker with big dreams of a better life far from Skid Row. Dave Quinn, People.com, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for downtrodden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downtrodden
oppressed
Adjective
  • The series was originally based on a novel by Margaret Atwood and followed June's life in a dystopian world called Gilead following a Second American Civil War, where women are oppressed and only used in society for their fertility.
    Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Even the long oppressed Russian people would cheer.
    Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 21 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Downtrodden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downtrodden. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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