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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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 Furthermore, the use of economic arguments to justify oppression has disturbing historical precedent. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026 The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression. — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 Unlike other movies of the period, racial oppression isn’t the sole reason for its existence. — Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for oppression

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppression

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

By contrast, Alzheimer’s disease typically is associated with memory and language loss, and is more associated with apathy and depression than with anxiety.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
The authors note that high-functioning depression is not an official diagnosis in the DSM-5, the manual clinicians use to diagnose mental health conditions.

— Allison Aubrey, NPR, 29 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

And Saturday, with the game temporarily relocated to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Gators couldn’t even drown their sorrows in the usual Jacksonville sunshine.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths and called for a prompt, transparent investigation to determine the cause, according to a statement from his office.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

Better Over Time should give him an opportunity to expunge his anguish and, if not necessarily heal, then find clarity on why his preternatural talent has brought a mixture of blessings and frustration.

— Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
His role as a theater director in ‘The Debut,’ isn’t the showstopping kind, but it is made memorable for the actor’s moments of tenacity, anguish and vulnerability.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of anguish

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oppressing

oppression

oppressive

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“Oppression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppression. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of oppression

noun

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