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
James Frater, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Create Abundance's lawyer in Canada, Brian Vickers, said that the two companies Li directed were not connected to the group and that it was being wrongfully persecuted.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In Nazi Germany, transgender people were persecuted, barred from public life.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
This Committee was initially created during the McCarthy Era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
More and more, people who have loyally served Putin’s system are being persecuted, mainly on the grounds of corruption.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
Molero and her husband arrived in the United States in 2003, fleeing after they were persecuted for working alongside opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Archival clips show thousands of Jews persecuted in Germany have begun migrating to Palestine.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
The apology came after a sustained campaign by historians and activists who argued that the victims were persecuted for being poor, vulnerable, or simply different.
—James Frater, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Create Abundance's lawyer in Canada, Brian Vickers, said that the two companies Li directed were not connected to the group and that it was being wrongfully persecuted.
—Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In Nazi Germany, transgender people were persecuted, barred from public life.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
This Committee was initially created during the McCarthy Era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
More and more, people who have loyally served Putin’s system are being persecuted, mainly on the grounds of corruption.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
Molero and her husband arrived in the United States in 2003, fleeing after they were persecuted for working alongside opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Archival clips show thousands of Jews persecuted in Germany have begun migrating to Palestine.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecuted
Adjective
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The song had an aggressive, staccato beat and vocal delivery; the general theme was Michael as an oppressed underdog fighting back.—
Dan Beck,
Variety,
21 Oct. 2025
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One of the reasons why Muslims fast during Ramadan is to remember those who are oppressed or suffering, and to share in those emotions.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wars and insurrections have afflicted other parts of the Middle East, but Baghdad—a city whose name was once synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian murder—has been spared.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The Lakers were down LeBron James, afflicted by nerve pain.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One report, citing a source close to Sheridan, even claimed the writer was annoyed that Paramount sent too many of its top suits to a meeting designed to keep Sheridan onboard, arguing that Ellison had messed up by bringing more than two execs along with him.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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Simonson suggested that bartenders don’t really disdain the Bloody Mary; they just are annoyed at having to make what is almost universally considered a brunch drink after hours.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There was a real question how the impact of him being on base nine times and the accompanying leg cramps that plagued him late in extra innings would affect his stamina less than 24 hours later.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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The park process, by contrast, has been plagued with high costs, lawsuits and scandals including three critical grand jury reports.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But those movements further irritated a rib injury that Hendrix first sustained during Wicked night.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
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The decision by Aaron Turner, Kuminga’s agent, to go on a media tour in recent weeks while negotiating publicly in hopes of landing a better offer for Kuminga, irritated some with the organization, according to league sources.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As of 2025, at least 130 people are known to have been tortured by Burge and his detectives.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Another 11 suspected Tren de Aragua members were hit with multiple felony charges in December after a couple living in the now-shuttered Edge of Lowry apartments was kidnapped and tortured.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Berwald isn't alone in being bothered by misbehaving kids at breweries.—
Jordyn Noennig,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Lehrer — who has maintained his innocence to Rolling Stone claimed he wasn’t bothered by the road ordeal — has been locked away in Dominica State Prison for over two years now.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Made in Italy is besieged, and action must be taken to safeguard the local supply chain and its reputation.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
24 Oct. 2025
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Since its municipal establishment in 2018, Roku City has been a metropolis intermittently besieged by mythical creatures including a kraken, a big robot, and a Godzilla-like kaiju.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecuted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecuted. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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