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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Recent Examples of oppression
We are all born free; taking away someone’s autonomy is an act of oppression.
—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
The holiday, as well as the premiere of the class-conscious The Devil Wears Prada 2, make tonight as good a night as any to throw on Boots Riley’s 2018 cutting send-up of corporate oppression.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Young people of their cohort prioritize Irish language rights and migrant rights, see a historic parallel between the oppression of Irish Catholics and Palestinians, and have a deep yearning to to bear witness to the end of British presence in the North and the reunification of Ireland.
—Dean Van Nguyen, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
The film examines the generation who never expected to become senior citizens in the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and decades of oppression, who now find themselves trailblazers again as the first openly LGBTQ seniors.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppression
Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
The holiday, as well as the premiere of the class-conscious The Devil Wears Prada 2, make tonight as good a night as any to throw on Boots Riley’s 2018 cutting send-up of corporate oppression.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Young people of their cohort prioritize Irish language rights and migrant rights, see a historic parallel between the oppression of Irish Catholics and Palestinians, and have a deep yearning to to bear witness to the end of British presence in the North and the reunification of Ireland.
—Dean Van Nguyen, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
The film examines the generation who never expected to become senior citizens in the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and decades of oppression, who now find themselves trailblazers again as the first openly LGBTQ seniors.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppression
Noun
-
There’s some sadness mixed with true joy.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
For McKidd, seeing Dane included in the finale montage brought both sadness and gratitude.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Children are also on screens now more than ever, which is believed to contribute to more anxiety, depression, aggression and hyperactivity.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition that is marked by a mix of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression, mania and a milder form of mania called hypomania, per the Mayo Clinic.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
While the actors are committed, poignant and warm, their upbeat tone doesn’t always blend well with the melancholy of the picture.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
These flashes of melancholy or yearning give the record complexity and depth, as well as stopping it from devolving into wackiness.—
Alastair Shuttleworth,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Yet this book is written more in sorrow than in anger.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Late in the picture, a display of kindness from the elderly Catalan woman Lucila looks after introduces an unexpected reciprocity of care — even with those unfamiliar with her sorrows and the intricacies of her cultural background.—
Carlos Aguilar,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Being separated from her parents as a baby was an unhealed sorrow for Heidi, and her anguish followed her into the messy intimacy of family life.—
Nicholas Dawidoff,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
Her outside-looking in remembrances (Romvari shoots scenes sometimes from the perspective of looking through a window) elliptically convey much – parental anguish about what would be the best call to action for the entire family, not the upheaval felt within the family.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppression. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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