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 Beneath Grisham’s pen, Dot Black was a blue-collar chain-smoker meant to stand in for all downtrodden Southern whites. Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025 Those ticket sales would be a huge boon to movie theater owners after the all-important summer stretch ended on a downtrodden note. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025 The Nationals, one of the most downtrodden teams in the major leagues, outhit the Giants 17-3 and didn’t bother with a doggie bag while leaving 10 runners on base. Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for downtrodden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downtrodden
oppressed
Adjective
  • The song had an aggressive, staccato beat and vocal delivery; the general theme was Michael as an oppressed underdog fighting back.
    Dan Beck, Variety, 21 Oct. 2025
  • One of the reasons why Muslims fast during Ramadan is to remember those who are oppressed or suffering, and to share in those emotions.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Downtrodden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downtrodden. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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