Synonyms of oppressively

oppressively

adverb

as in harshly

in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering

forced to live under an oppressively cruel government

Synonyms & Similar Words

• harshly
• severely
• brutally
• hard
• sternly
• ill
• stiffly
• roughly
• abusively
• tyrannically
• aggressively
• strongly
• inhumanly
• ruthlessly
• pitilessly
• hardly
• mercilessly
• grimly
• inhumanely
• unmercifully
• heartlessly
• obdurately
• viciously
• savagely
• unsparingly
• insensitively
• unfeelingly
• firmly
• callously
• brutishly
• uncharitably
• decidedly
• determinedly
• resolutely
• cold-bloodedly
• insensately
• toughly
• assertively
• gruffly
• hard-heartedly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lightly
• mildly
• gently
• softly
• leniently
• benevolently
• lovingly
• kindly
• tenderly
• graciously
• cordially
• considerately
• mercifully
• sympathetically
• clemently
• compassionately
• benignantly
• humanely
• charitably
• tolerantly
• understandingly
• softheartedly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of oppressively

Survey respondents said their dwellings stayed oppressively hot even at night because overcrowding and poor construction trapped the heat. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 24 July 2026

Jackie searches for Madi, wondering if her sister is a victim or a killer while maneuvering an oppressively demanding office and reflecting on her own previous crimes. — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026

The oppressively hot and steamy weather was no deterrent for the crowds that lined up along Crandon Boulevard on Saturday to celebrate America’s independence at Key Biscayne’s 67th Fourth of July parade. — Pedro Portal, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026

Fortunately, this spell of hot temps will be a generally drier heat — not necessarily oppressively humid like is typical for New England. — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026

The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025

The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025

On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025

This type of behavior would have seemed brazen in 2019, when trains were oppressively crowded and riders sensed their vulnerability to theft and other forms of disorder. — Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Apr. 2025