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
Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
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
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
Additionally, Childress and her friends believed in the liberation of oppressed people both worldwide and in the United States.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
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
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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One 2025 study published in BMC Geriatrics found that older adults who lived somewhere with better indoor air ventilation were less likely to be depressed compared to older adults with less indoor air ventilation.—
Jamie Friedlander Serrano,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
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Translation professionals are losing their jobs to AI AI tools have reduced the amount of work available to human translators and interpreters, and depressed their earnings.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ketter said the volume of traffic temporarily overwhelmed DreamHaven's website.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The company said the influx briefly overwhelmed its servers.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Chief on the film’s mind is what happens when the relative innocence of that blush of first infatuation — neither boy seems particularly troubled by his proclivity — is spoiled by outside forces, like family and the church.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
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This ambiguous legacy as both enslaver and emancipator has troubled Americans ever since.—
John Garrison Marks,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When 30-year-old Youssif Naim went missing earlier this month, leading to a community-wide search that ended when his body was found near Hines Park, like many others, Yasmeen Hamed was devastated.—
Veronica Ortega,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Needless to say, at this time we are all devastated and simply trying to cope with this tragic news.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The regime imprisoned Nejati and reportedly tortured him.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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And so even people who were heroes of the nation, they were beaten, tortured, taken for reeducation.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One night after the Warriors snapped Minnesota's 103-game streak of scoring at least 100 points — the third-longest in NBA history — the Timberwolves overcame a cold start from the floor and 23 turnovers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The sonic boom barrier With the new electromagnetic rail system, engineers overcame a persistent barrier to reliable supersonic performance.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In games against Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, Arsenal have looked like a team burdened with expectation.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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Utilities are burdened with excessive documentation requirements that divert resources away from effective security measures.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Add 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings, and 8 garlic cloves, crushed, and cook, stirring often, until softened and light golden around the edges, 3–4 minutes.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Some sat remarkably untouched, but most were damaged beyond repair — crushed by falling beams, burned to a shell, and covered in toxic dust.—
Marah Eakin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressed. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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