Synonyms of oppressor

oppressor

noun

as in tyrant

a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way

the dictatorship had scarcely been overthrown when the formerly oppressed suddenly abandoned their democratic ideals and became the oppressors

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tyrant
• dictator
• ruler
• pharaoh
• despot
• warlord
• man on horseback
• strongman
• overlord
• caesar
• führer
• tycoon
• king
• leader
• prince
• tyrannizer
• authoritarian
• autocrat
• monarch
• totalitarian
• dominator
• magnate
• boss
• potentate
• sovereign
• baron
• master
• caudillo
• chief
• queen
• Big Brother
• lord
• paramount
• autarch
• czar
• monocrat
• captain
• taskmaster
• kingpin
• enforcer
• mogul
• disciplinarian
• martinet
• discipliner

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of oppressor

These included quotes by Fanon, a philosopher who wrote extensively about the ways in which colonized people adopt the mindsets of their oppressors. — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 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

For the left that supports the Palestinian cause, Muslims are the oppressed and the West – including Israel – are the oppressors… Whether Muslims hold conservative-religious views in this context is irrelevant. — Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026

But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. — William Earl, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

During this icy inspection, Hurston decided to inflict as much discomfort as possible on her oppressors by remaining in the office as a form of passive resistance. — Literary Hub, 22 July 2026

But in the museum's current telling, history is just an ongoing power struggle between oppressors and the oppressed. — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 21 July 2026

The practice likely had its roots in mid-20th century productions and crystallized over the decades, though American accents have often been used in film history to differentiate the oppressed from the oppressor. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026

Your structure sorts the whole world into two boxes, oppressor and oppressed. — Joyce Kamanitz, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026