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
Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026
The tiny minority that held this fragile wealth has long needed protection, both from the vast numbers of oppressed people needed to extract it and from the federal government determined to protect them.
—USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
Nonprofit organizations such as International Federation of Journalists, Amnesty International, and Committee to Protect Journalists advocate on behalf of unfairly jailed and oppressed journalists worldwide.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Adjective
According to Ehrman, Jesus’s teachings universalized earlier Jewish ethics by extending the duty to care for the poor, oppressed, and needy beyond one’s own community to include all people.
—Big Think, 26 Mar. 2026
The tiny minority that held this fragile wealth has long needed protection, both from the vast numbers of oppressed people needed to extract it and from the federal government determined to protect them.
—USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
And the Irish were oppressed by imperialism, for hundreds of years, and President Kennedy was an Irish Catholic.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
Nonprofit organizations such as International Federation of Journalists, Amnesty International, and Committee to Protect Journalists advocate on behalf of unfairly jailed and oppressed journalists worldwide.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressed
Verb
-
Rising costs of components, supply chain constraints, and weaker consumer demand that are all partly linked to the Iran war have depressed smartphone sales in much of the continent, resulting in the slowest growth of shipments to Africa in two years, research firm Omdia said.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
-
Two Democrats at the top would have depressed Republican turnout for other key races — especially for Congress — in the fall.—
Daniel Borenstein,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Feint claps for the President could be heard on the ABC broadcast, but they were overwhelmed by the Bronx cheer.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
9 June 2026
-
The weather is mild, the landscapes are at their most dramatic, and the town feels alive without being overwhelmed.—
Elizabeth Heath,
Travel + Leisure,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
One’s troubled and remembers it as being the huddling spot for a UFO cult, the other has a different take.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
-
His center has specialized in offering spiritual healing for priests troubled by various difficulties.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Let’s hope that wisdom returns today to support humanitarian aid for war devastated nations.—
William Lambers,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
-
Meanwhile, Mason was left devastated, according to his parents.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
During similar unrest last year, several officers were abducted and tortured after being taken captive.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
-
Armand tortured and planned to drain Daniel, but Louis stepped in to save him.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Carolina overcame the same deficit, in the third period, to win Game 2 in overtime.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
-
Slowed by a medical issue the last two seasons, DeMaio overcame that hurdle to have a huge senior year playing alongside her twin sister, Ava.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
In the latter time line, Yesiko, a middle-aged ship captain who is burdened by medical debt, picks up some mysterious passengers—including a moody robot—who promise to pay handsomely.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
Years of questionable decisions left the company burdened with an unsustainable debt load, currently standing at over $30 billion.—
Alexander Ciccone,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Then the tournament started, and the pressure crushed them.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Third baseman Cooper Nicholson crushed a ball more than far enough for a home run, but just foul into the left field corner.—
Alan Cole,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressed. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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