as in persecuted
suffering grave abuse or injustice at the hands of one in authority
setting out on a quixotic quest to right wrongs and to raise up the oppressed peoples of the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in depressed
to make sad
this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelmed
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
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Recent Examples of oppressed
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Additionally, Childress and her friends believed in the liberation of oppressed people both worldwide and in the United States.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Adjective
Forget Martha’s Vineyard, poor oppressed victim Ayanna be scooping up Nantucket beachfront.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Additionally, Childress and her friends believed in the liberation of oppressed people both worldwide and in the United States.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
Verb
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
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressed
Verb
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Goldschmidt wasn’t sure about Witt’s power, thinking it might be depressed at Kauffman Stadium.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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As labor supply remains weak, demand is also being depressed by elevated policy uncertainty and past over-hiring, with AI adoption poised to weigh on payrolls too.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cathy’s, um, secretions Fennell’s tendency to shock us only lightly comes (sorry) into full effect when Cathy steals off to the moors to masturbate against a giant rock, overwhelmed by her feelings for Heathcliff.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
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This enables local food pantries to support as many individuals as possible without being overwhelmed by rising demand.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He’s spurred to do so, however, by Roza (Michelle Tzontchev), a single parent who now tellingly goes by the anglicized Rose, but is troubled by her growing distance (and more so, her young son’s) from her cultural roots — and her fading memories of a mother who didn’t travel and change with them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2026
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Bortolleto said she was troubled by the ICE raids of Connecticut car washes last year in Southington and Hamden.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whitaker and Perlah, who know about Louie’s advanced liver disease and see his care as routine, will be devastated to learn Louie is gone.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
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See the aftermath from above Infrastructure devastated There have been reports of severe damage to the area's infrastructure, including the city's hospital, schools and businesses.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Villagrán conducted research on Chilean Air Force officers and non-commissioned officers who were tortured by their own comrades for refusing to participate in the coup.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
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Her husband says she has been tortured after her arrest.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Takaichi’s popularity with voters helped more than 90% of LDP candidates win their seats, including 41 out of 43 of her colleagues who overcame the stain of financial scandals to secure voter support.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
15 Feb. 2026
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France’s Mathis Desloges, who has taken two silvers so far, pulled his team into medal position during the third leg of the race, while Italy’s Federico Pellegrino overcame Finland in the anchor leg to take bronze on home soil in his last Olympics.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Equitable relief for all seniors, not only low-income households, by addressing systemic gaps that leave many middle-class seniors cost-burdened.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Feb. 2026
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Our bloated budget is over-burdened by waste, fraud, and decadence.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Olympic figure skater Ilia Malinin refuses to be crushed beneath the pressure.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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Internet shutdowns, mass arrests, intimidation through mourning and fear have crushed public mobilization — while negotiations with powerful states restore the regime’s standing on the global stage.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressed. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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