Synonyms of persecuted

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• oppressed
• crushed
• downtrodden
• tyrannized
• abused
• intimidated
• cowed
• maltreated
• bullied
• browbeaten
• mistreated
• dispirited
• hectored
• abject
• hopeless
• disheartened
• despairing
• downcast

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• afflicted
• plagued
• tortured
• besieged
• attacked
• cursed
• tormented
• bothered
• troubled
• bedeviled
• harrowed
• agonized
• beset
• anguished
• stung
• racked
• oppressed
• harassed
• pursued
• disturbed
• excruciated
• overwhelmed
• annoyed
• hounded
• struck
• assailed
• irritated
• aggravated
• worried
• victimized
• hurt
• molested
• badgered
• grieved
• distressed
• upset
• vexed
• agitated
• exasperated
• harried
• tyrannized
• disquieted
• martyred
• irked
• dogged
• stabbed
• riled
• stressed
• discomforted
• perturbed
• tried
• pestered
• nettled
• flustered
• peeved
• chafed
• bugged
• rode
• crushed
• overpowered
• griped
• grated
• pained
• piqued
• galled
• put out
• rasped
• discomposed
• smote
• strained
• smarted
• pricked
• got
• wrung
• hagrode
• panged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• assisted
• helped
• aided
• abetted
• relieved
• delivered
• released
• comforted
• contented
• soothed
• consoled
• quieted
• reprieved
• succored
• solaced

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

• annoyed
• bothered
• irritated
• bugged
• aggravated
• got
• infuriated
• vexed
• exasperated
• angered
• ate
• worried
• burned (up)
• irked
• riled
• grated
• nettled
• insulted
• peeved
• got to
• chafed
• wore on
• itched
• hacked (off)
• teased
• harassed
• griped
• ruffled
• galled
• piqued
• rasped
• put out
• provoked
• frosted
• spited
• plagued
• narked
• rubbed the wrong way
• offended
• enraged
• upset
• stuck in one's craw
• hassled
• heckled
• got on one's nerves
• nagged
• got one's goat
• set one's teeth on edge
• badgered
• inflamed
• roused
• antagonized
• unsettled
• harried
• incensed
• agitated
• pestered
• distressed
• disquieted
• maddened
• outraged
• perturbed
• affronted
• baited
• deviled
• rankled
• unhinged
• exercised
• discomforted
• miffed
• roiled
• bullyragged
• discomposed
• freaked (out)
• fretted
• hagrode
• undid

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obliged
• appeased
• pacified
• pleased
• mollified
• satisfied
• delighted
• gratified
• placated
• propitiated
• conciliated
• comforted
• assured
• cheered
• reassured
• contented
• consoled
• soothed
• quieted
• gladdened
• solaced

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of persecuted

Verb

Although the two programs similarly target humanitarian concerns, being a TPS holder does not guarantee asylum, which requires that applicants prove they’ve been persecuted on specific grounds. — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2026

In The Bacchae, Dionysus becomes violent only because his existence has been denied and his followers persecuted, and his maenads similarly become destructive only when pursued. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026

Germany and Austria have unique programs that offer citizenship to the descendants of anyone who was persecuted or feared persecution by the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

However, the Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran – which laid out a long-term pathway to peace – made no mention of protesters, persecuted dissidents or human rights. — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

The Chinese government denies the Uyghurs have been or are being persecuted. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

As a senator, Marco Rubio was a strong supporter of the bureau and human rights broadly, once arguing from the Senate floor that safeguarding the freedoms of gay men who were persecuted in Chechnya — and all people — was in the national interest. — Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 17 July 2026

Also on Wednesday, Blume returned a Pablo Picasso bust, Fernande/Beatrice (1905), to the descendants of German-Jewish dealer Alfred Flechtheim, who was persecuted by the Reich, reports TAN. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 July 2026

Both vessels carried mostly Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group who have lived for centuries in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State and have been persecuted, the UN agencies said. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026