1
as in to depress
to make sad
this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
a film about a man who is haunted and oppressed by the secrets of his past
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 oppress
The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela's people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule.
—
Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Catholic Charities of Louisville serves those in need, especially the poor and oppressed, with a wide range of outreaches that assist neighbors of all races, backgrounds, and beliefs.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Nov. 2025
When, in reality, not that all Jews have money, but the reality is, for 3000 years, white people who were male and female, had money and didn't have money, were being brutally oppressed.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Our systems were built to oppress people of color.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppress
Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
Catholic Charities of Louisville serves those in need, especially the poor and oppressed, with a wide range of outreaches that assist neighbors of all races, backgrounds, and beliefs.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Nov. 2025
When, in reality, not that all Jews have money, but the reality is, for 3000 years, white people who were male and female, had money and didn't have money, were being brutally oppressed.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Our systems were built to oppress people of color.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppress
Verb
-
Patricia Gandara, a UCLA professor and co-director of its Civil Rights Project, previously expressed concern to the Union-Tribune that fear could depress attendance but also said families do put trust in their children’s schools.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Gradually freed of the weight of its ice, the rock beneath Greenland, long depressed by the massive ice sheet, rebounds.—
Paul Bierman,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And she was overwhelmed by the maze of paperwork needed simply to get her off the street, much less to make any of the other things happen.—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Small mosaics, bold geometrics, and overused penny tiles can overwhelm a room.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Such subsidies drive up demand, and therefore costs, while also burdening taxpayers.—
Judge Glock,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Both left office humbled, burdened with lousy poll numbers and facing a well of deep voter discontent.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Even though she was utterly devastated, a small part of her saw it as a kind of gift.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Jan. 2026
-
When the oily messenger arrives at the hotel, Lucy is confused and devastated.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Still, whatever validity there is to his pain, Peter becomes a high priest of hallucination and Coon’s tortured Agnes his disciple.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
In Chechnya, a region in southern Russia with a predominantly Muslim population, authorities launched an open hunt for gay men—police rounded them up and tortured many of them, with some being killed.—
Mikhail Zygar,
Vanity Fair,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Freshman Anthony Ali Nayab scored six of his nine points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of game-clinching free throws with 25 seconds to play, and Cathedral Catholic overcame an 11-point deficit and edged Mira Mesa 47-45 on Tuesday night in a key Western League game.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The researchers do note that Veronika’s environment may have played a role in her skillful use of a tool to overcome limitations.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Kathleen Wade New York City Like many others, I was stunned and saddened to read Schlossberg’s essay.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Alejandra Lopez wrote that her family has been left deeply saddened by her brother’s death.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
My message this week is about not letting our hearts be troubled, and Jesus is the way.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
-
On one of the final days of the semester, Raymundo peered into his Infiniti J30’s engine bay, searching for the issue that had troubled the car.—
Daniel Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppress. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
