persecuted 1 of 2

adjective

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

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persecuted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of persecute
1
as in afflicted
to cause persistent suffering to people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 persecuted
Verb
The Washington Principles also recognize that many sales of artwork by Jews during the Nazi era occurred while they were being persecuted, or under duress. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 29 June 2026 Representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine have been persecuted. — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Pennsylvania’s 1682 frame of government promised that law-abiding people would not be persecuted for their religious views or forced to worship. — Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 24 June 2026 In Britain, all the large predators had long since been exterminated and the smaller ones (like foxes) were ruthlessly persecuted. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 22 June 2026 Supporting people who have too often been, and continue to be, persecuted and othered would be a direct way to address the suffering. — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 14 June 2026 Family members and friends were persecuted, arrested, and killed. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026 During and shortly after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, too, persecuted Esperantists for the language’s association with anti–nationalism and anarchism. — Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026 Blanche, who defended the fund at a congressional hearing this week, has said anyone who believes they’ve been persecuted can apply for compensation regardless of political affiliation. — Eric Tucker, Fortune, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecuted
  1. oppressed
  2. afflicted
  3. annoyed
  4. plagued
  5. bothered
  6. tortured
  7. irritated
  8. besieged
Adjective
  • The Irish were the original oppressed people from the English Empire, and the original colony.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026
  • The body pointed to the fact that Iran’s Farabi cinema body, which oversees the country’s submission, was directly controlled by the hardline Islamic Republic regime government, which in turn has suppressed freedom of speech and brutally oppressed filmmakers across its 47 years in power.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 May 2026
Definition of oppressed
Verb
  • Forty-nine of the afflicted have been hospitalized; of those, thirty-four have gone home.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 2026
  • Jonestown afflicted Naipaul’s vision, his way of deciphering not just political manias but the dreariness of urban life, the perpetual doom of the nuclear-arms race.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
Definition of afflicted
Verb
  • Club homeowners are not merely annoyed by tourist bonanzas like the World Cup — Airbnb is FIFA’s official lodging partner — or the Ultra music festival, Spring Break and Formula 1 weekend.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • The equalising goal came in first-half stoppage time, with Norway coach Stale Solbakken visibly annoyed with referee Clement Turpin at the half-time interval.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey follows the incredible journey of King Odysseus back to his kingdom of Ithaca, plagued by mythical perils along the way.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 13 July 2026
  • That’s a far cry from the financial troubles that plagued the club more than two decades ago.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of plagued
Verb
  • The knee has mostly bothered Ohtani on the mound, rather than at the plate.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • As of the time of this writing, almost four months after its publication, the text still contains a typo in its opening lines, suggesting to me that no one close to the author has even bothered to read it with care.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • Walker was abducted, raped, tortured and murdered after attending a Valentine’s Day dance with her boyfriend.
    — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • The actual abduction was committed, according to the feds, by supermarket owner Abu Chowdhury — who’s accused of heading a kidnapping ring that also snatched and tortured two men who crossed his vengeful wife, Iffat Lubna.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • But the idea has irritated California’s billionaire class, and some have left the state in protest or threatened to do so.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
  • Hasslers, the researchers found, tended to be people who irritated the study respondents but whom the respondents could not escape.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026
Definition of irritated
Verb
  • After word spread that a local attorney was starting a class action, residents said they were besieged by out-of-town lawyers competing aggressively for their business.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • Boston was besieged by the Tartan Army.
    — Becky Sullivan, NPR, 28 June 2026
Definition of besieged

Browse Nearby Words

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persecuted
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Cite this Entry

“Persecuted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecuted. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of persecuted for Spanish Speakers

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