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 Kosovo has criticized the verdicts as unjust, maintaining that the KLA, which Thaci had led before entering politics, had fought against Serbian oppression. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 And for those elections to truly be free, ALL candidates must have the freedom to run and campaign without oppression, intimidation or persecution — starting with María Corina Machado. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 Can an accurate story of a system of oppression be derived from sources created and preserved by the oppressors? — Drew Gilpin Faust, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026 The influx of immigrants shocked this small town Lockland had for decades been home to a small population of West Africans who’d come to Ohio in the 1990s because of political and racial oppression in Mauritania. — Claire Galofaro, Los Angeles Times, 17 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
  • Tsai, the Stanford professor, has conducted research on how emotion in American culture puts value on trying to always feel positive and minimizing negativity and sadness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Survey findings About 28% of Gaston respondents reported moderate or higher levels of negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, anger or boredom, compared with roughly 10% in Union, Venkitasubramanian said.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Officials say preliminary evidence indicates that all three substances are potent and could result in dependence and respiratory depression.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • When that bubble burst in the Panic of 1893, a third of railroads went bust, more than 500 banks failed, and the economy plunged into a four-year depression.
    — Ming Lu, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said on her personal Facebook page that the incident left her filled with sorrow.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Like many songwriters who’ve ever poured their romantic sorrows out in their music, the challenge in this new era was getting acquainted with writing from a place of happiness instead, which can be a source of anxiety itself.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • Set to a downtempo bachata, the track features Lorén’s penetrating vocals filled with anguish at the impossible cycle of working endlessly to make ends meet.
    — Vanessa Diaz, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 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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oppression
oppressive
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Cite this Entry

“Oppression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppression. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oppression

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