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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Recent Examples of downtrodden
Setting expectations for a downtrodden player’s next season isn’t always easy, even when there’s an explanation for the statistical dropoff.
—
Al Melchior,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Wonder if there's a former Alabama defensive coach looking to be a coordinator for a downtrodden NFC East franchise.
—
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Before diving into season 2, why not reacquaint yourself with The Pitt's heroic (and downtrodden) team?
—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
But, the token rebounded early Tuesday and has continued to trade above the $90,000 level through the week, offering a glimmer of hope to downtrodden crypto investors.
—
Sean Conlon,pia Singh,
CNBC,
3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downtrodden
Al Melchior,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Wonder if there's a former Alabama defensive coach looking to be a coordinator for a downtrodden NFC East franchise.
—
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Before diving into season 2, why not reacquaint yourself with The Pitt's heroic (and downtrodden) team?
—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
But, the token rebounded early Tuesday and has continued to trade above the $90,000 level through the week, offering a glimmer of hope to downtrodden crypto investors.
—
Sean Conlon,pia Singh,
CNBC,
3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downtrodden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downtrodden
oppressed
Adjective
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The Irish were the original oppressed people from the English Empire, and the original colony.
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The body pointed to the fact that Iran’s Farabi cinema body, which oversees the country’s submission, was directly controlled by the hardline Islamic Republic regime government, which in turn has suppressed freedom of speech and brutally oppressed filmmakers across its 47 years in power.
Cite this Entry
“Downtrodden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downtrodden. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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