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oppression

noun

ə-ˈpre-shən How to pronounce oppression (audio)
Definition of oppressionnext
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits suffered a lingering oppression in the weeks after his dog died

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Marquina, his parents and sister moved to South Florida in 2015 as his family fled oppression and sought better opportunities outside Venezuela. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 Nike had plenty to say about oppression when the target was the United States. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026 Into the work, esparza’s has also added a scene from the Florentine Codex showing a Spaniard whipping an Indigenous person and images of ICE raids in LA and Chicago, connecting centuries of oppression together. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 But what does the former embodiment of oppression’s death mean for those who came to like him? — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oppression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppression
  1. sadness
  2. depression
  3. melancholy
  4. sorrow
  5. anguish
  6. mournfulness
Noun
  • This year's report finds that levels of persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness among high schoolers have fallen in recent years – from 42% in 2021, to 40% in 2023 and 33% in 2025.
    — Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Scott is tremendous and tragic in the film, maybe more so in its moments of dark humor than in its final beats of near operatic sadness.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Proponents say that in its pure form, kratom is a safe, natural herbal supplement that can help manage pain, anxiety and depression and ease the effects of opioid withdrawal.
    — Sudhin Thanawala, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, odds are high for an area of low pressure off the western coast of Africa to become tropical depression.
    — Robin Webb, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • With her toadstool-like jet-black perm and dark red lipstick, Haru is a striking presence, the sensuousness of her moves conveying both longing and sorrow.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Oakley and Reid lean so heavily into Elinor and Marianne’s crushing disappointments and the forces holding them back in a period of vast gender inequity, that their sorrows shove the characters’ more captivating qualities to the side.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • Love is actually heartbreak, pain, anguish, but the myth of love is happiness and joy.
    — Norah O'Donnell, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The organization said the discoveries had deepened the anguish of families searching for loved ones.
    — Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • Power Ballad should be breezy and fun, with that twist of mournfulness that Carney is always so adept at pulling off.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026
Definition of mournfulness

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oppressive
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Cite this Entry

“Oppression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppression. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on oppression

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oppression

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