as in oppressed
suffering grave abuse or injustice at the hands of one in authority
a nation that is still regarded as a refuge for persecuted people from around the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in afflicted
to cause persistent suffering to
people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she likes to persecute her sister with pointless, annoying questions at very inopportune times
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecuted
Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2026
Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.
—Michael Kunzelman, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Former President Francisco Macias Nguema persecuted Catholics, closed several churches and banned the church in 1978 to cut ties with Spain, the country’s former colonial power.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Alex isn’t persecuted for being trans.
—Brittany Delay, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Jews were not necessarily being persecuted in Hungary at that point.
—Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
For years, deportations could be indefinitely delayed if an immigrant successfully argued that they’d be tortured or persecuted if they were returned home.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
The Eduiot site includes photographs and audiovisual material, and features the accounts of parents, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces of Jews persecuted and disappeared under the dictatorship.
—Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.
—James Stout, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Apr. 2026
Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.
—Michael Kunzelman, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Former President Francisco Macias Nguema persecuted Catholics, closed several churches and banned the church in 1978 to cut ties with Spain, the country’s former colonial power.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Alex isn’t persecuted for being trans.
—Brittany Delay, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Jews were not necessarily being persecuted in Hungary at that point.
—Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
For years, deportations could be indefinitely delayed if an immigrant successfully argued that they’d be tortured or persecuted if they were returned home.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
The Eduiot site includes photographs and audiovisual material, and features the accounts of parents, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces of Jews persecuted and disappeared under the dictatorship.
—Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.
—James Stout, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecuted
Adjective
-
Al-Mousawi, of the historically oppressed Shia Muslim faith, was previously detained and had served about 11 years as a political prisoner following arrests across the region in the wake of the Arab Spring, said Alwadaei of BIRD.—
Jane Lytvynenko,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Dahl had no record of support for other minority, oppressed or marginalized group.—
Alan M. Dershowitz,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Once diagnosed, pancreatic cancer has been a death sentence for those afflicted in the vast majority of cases.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the president doesn’t get annoyed with him once or twice.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Maybe annoyed enough to fix it.—
Nathan Edwards,
The Verge,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a powerful and disquieting GQ profile, the band and some immediate friends and family unraveled the struggles that have plagued their lucrative but life-altering reunion, a kind of cautionary tale for leveling up after settling down.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
4 May 2026
-
Several Republicans running for governor have sought to tie Klobuchar to Walz, arguing Democrats as a whole are to blame for the fraud that’s plagued Minnesota’s social services.—
Mary Murphy,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Who never bothered to delete the erroneous post.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
With Minnesota viewing them as soft, the Nuggets hardly seem bothered by the criticism.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Barahona and his wife, Carmen, beat and tortured the twins, tying them with electrical cord and shocking them in a bathtub with the door locked, investigators said.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
-
The expression on Moss-Bachrach’s face is tortured and tired, like just thinking about this awful day with Mikey took time off his life — and then, another awful thing.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
His last-minute, mixmaster approach to closing out the transit negotiations irritated several participants, but the end result was a fiscally responsible and transformative restructuring of mass transit in northern Illinois.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Even minimal exposure to artificial lights irritated his burns, and recovery took months.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In a similar vein, the Business section featured an article on our inequitable national tax structure, which enables the wealthy to grow their wealth while most people, besieged by income taxes and rising property taxes, struggle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persecuted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecuted. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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