OPPRESSIONS Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

oppression

noun

ə-ˈpre-shən

Definition of oppression

as in sadness

a state or spell of low spirits suffered a lingering oppression in the weeks after his dog died

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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 oppression The women provided examples of female oppression in society at the time. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026 Throughout the speech, the socialist mayor argued that the United States has been defined by generations of immigrants and other groups overcoming oppression while casting today’s political and economic leaders as forces working against that legacy. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026 Britain’s oppression invited the people to take charge of their government, inaugurating a period of broader political participation. — T. H. Breen, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 Much of this cultural change was inextricably tied to systemic oppression. — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for oppression

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppression

Noun

The girls spend the day together — Laura has made an entire treasure hunt to celebrate Good Eagle’s birthday — and while there are moments of joy, there’s a lot of sadness weighing down on their tiny shoulders, too.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his sadness over the recent deaths in the country’s south.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

Its blockbuster antidepressant Prozac transformed the treatment of depression and fueled Lilly's last major sales boom before the GLP-1 explosion.

— Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Research shows that these students are more likely to have poorer physical health, higher rates of depression and lower GPAs than their peers.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

The clouds begin to part The clouds of grief and sorrow that had enveloped Gounder with the approach of the World Cup were dispersed by the bright orange sun of a New York Knicks championship, the team’s first in 53 years.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

Andrade said the absence of an official passenger manifest deepened the anguish of dozens of families awaiting the arrival of Flight 164.

— Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
The series depicts the anguish of an interrupted boyhood and the awakening of a child’s conscience as their safest spaces erode.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 July 2026

Definition of anguish

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oppression

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“Oppression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppression. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of oppression

noun

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