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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb persecute differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of persecute are aggrieve, oppress, and wrong. While all these words mean "to injure unjustly or outrageously," persecute implies a relentless and unremitting subjection to annoyance or suffering.

a child persecuted by constant criticism

When is aggrieve a more appropriate choice than persecute?

Although the words aggrieve and persecute have much in common, aggrieve implies suffering caused by an infringement or denial of rights.

a legal aid society representing aggrieved minority groups

When might oppress be a better fit than persecute?

The meanings of oppress and persecute largely overlap; however, oppress suggests inhumane imposing of burdens one cannot endure or exacting more than one can perform.

a people oppressed by a warmongering tyrant

When could wrong be used to replace persecute?

The synonyms wrong and persecute are sometimes interchangeable, but wrong implies inflicting injury either unmerited or out of proportion to what one deserves.

a penal system that had wronged him

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 persecute Her mother had misread something about the Property Brothers on the internet and was insisting that they were being persecuted for being Christian. Patricia Lockwood, New Yorker, 18 May 2025 Leopoldo chose to be the voice of the people who elected him, and was persecuted for it. Imamu "mu" Tomlinson, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 After being persecuted for the nature of her work, the political scientist arrived to the U.S. in 2022 on a visa. Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 27 May 2025 His parents, Marcelo Netto and Miriam Leitão, are both journalists who resisted the dictatorship and were persecuted. Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for persecute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecute
Verb
  • Much of the documentary explores Walters' insecurities, which plagued her despite her incredible accomplishments.
    Gillian Telling, People.com, 16 June 2025
  • Orders at last year's Farnborough were notably weaker, with supply chain challenges continuing to plague the industry.
    Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The comedy as a second-class sibling to the drama is a notion that has annoyed the people who make television comedies for years.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 June 2025
  • In some cases, that will be obvious: You’ll get annoyed by weird or loud noises and odors, notice your energy bill has skyrocketed, or spot signs of a leak.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • Cabbages are afflicted by cabbage webworms, cabbage white moths, cabbage loopers, and other worms.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 June 2025
  • When the antibody was injected into the retinas of mice afflicted with retinitis pigmentosa, the action of PROX1 was blocked, retinal regeneration was restored, and vision returned for a period of over six months.
    Michael Franco, New Atlas, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • This is an arrangement that bothers Kagi's founder.
    Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
  • Understandably, the online narrative bothered the director as well.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • There are Holocaust survivors, there are children who were taken, there are people being starved and tortured and raped who have no access to the Red Cross.
    Andrew Goldman, Vulture, 16 June 2025
  • Owens wrote that his client didn’t seek out a criminal lifestyle but became indebted to a criminal organization that paid his ransom after he was kidnapped and tortured.
    City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump initially tapped to co-lead DOGE, pushed for an expansion of the program as way to attract global talent, irritating immigration hawks in the conservative movement.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 7 June 2025
  • Use Insect Repellent to Avoid Bug Bites Stinging, biting, and otherwise irritating bugs are prevalent in summer.
    Sarah Richards, Verywell Health, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • Imagine an aircraft carrier group besieged by a thousand drones in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
  • Cable news is besieged on one side by changing user behavior and on the other by unforgiving economics — one eroding attention, the other bleeding resources.
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Say your mother kept bugging you to change a bad habit.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • Next season is when all the little things start to bug me.
    Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 21 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecute. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on persecute

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