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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of oppressed
Michelle Gavin, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2025
My prayer is that people here in America, Muslim people, Muslim background people here in America will fight for the rights of oppressed Christian minorities in so many Muslim countries.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
However, when your organization was founded less than 45 years after slavery was abolished, when Black women were still being forced to be wet nurses to the very children of those who oppressed them and lynching was a common occurrence below the Mason-Dixon Line?
—Essence, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Adjective
But South Africa’s decision to bring a case to the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in December 2023 came against the backdrop of earlier decisions that reveal a selective concern for oppressed peoples and international legal obligations.
—Michelle Gavin, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2025
My prayer is that people here in America, Muslim people, Muslim background people here in America will fight for the rights of oppressed Christian minorities in so many Muslim countries.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
The men are seen as misogynistic, and the women are oppressed.
—Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
However, when your organization was founded less than 45 years after slavery was abolished, when Black women were still being forced to be wet nurses to the very children of those who oppressed them and lynching was a common occurrence below the Mason-Dixon Line?
—Essence, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressed
Verb
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Denial No one knew if Tripp had been depressed before his suicide.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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The rule change, which took effect last fall, came just as San Diego was already re-evaluating Phase Two of Pure Water, because conservation has depressed local water demand and construction costs have soared.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After giving birth to him, she’s overwhelmed by irreconcilably conflicting emotions—Javed is at once her own flesh, and an embodiment of his father’s actions.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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Over the past few days, the mother of three was overwhelmed by the number of comments on her original post.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But people all over the country are increasingly troubled by our government’s lack of fairness and due process and want to do something about it.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
25 Oct. 2025
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Though he was initially troubled to find his image being used on Sora 2, the implementation of new guardrails around consent seem to have assuaged his concerns.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Residents of Kingston, Jamaica, were already dealing with floodwaters on Friday, as concerns are growing that the impact could be the worst since Hurricane Gilbert devastated the island in 1988.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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This happened when Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As of 2025, at least 130 people are known to have been tortured by Burge and his detectives.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Another 11 suspected Tren de Aragua members were hit with multiple felony charges in December after a couple living in the now-shuttered Edge of Lowry apartments was kidnapped and tortured.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Patrick Mahomes overcame the worst start to a game in his storied career to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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While reflecting on the special father-son moment, Broderick said his son overcame his nerves.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the weight of those expectations has the ability to crush the shoulders of the fighter who’s burdened with them.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Millions remain far from liberated from economic pressure, and few of us feel burdened by an excess of free time.—
Arianna Huffington,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At one point in the third quarter, Daniels scrambled against a blitz, stopped to throw, then retreated again 14 yards behind the line of scrimmage and completed a pass while getting crushed to the ground.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Oct. 2025
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The second quarter crushed the Celtics.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressed. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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