PERSECUTORS Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

persecutors

noun

plural of persecutor

as in torturers

a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another years later his schoolyard persecutor would end up being one of his low-paid employees

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in nuisances

one who is obnoxiously annoying on this flight my airline-appointed persecutor was a chattering nitwit who could not stop talking about himself

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 persecutors Are prisoners in Nazi concentration camps not the legal owners of artworks they were forced to make by their SS persecutors? — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Honoring the undocumented and decrying their persecutors at the height of her career, against political headwinds and with nothing to gain and everything to lose, was par for her life, and a challenge for all of us to do the same. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Amish are part of the wider Anabaptist movement, which puts heavy emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, containing some of his most radical and counter-cultural sayings — to love enemies, live simply, bless persecutors, turn the other cheek and to endure sufferings joyfully. — Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025 That is a nasty process which involves digging up Ambar’s still-fresh corpse, then subjecting it to various grisly indignities night after night as retribution gets visited upon our heroine’s persecutors. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025 Using it to describe this week’s attack on Huwara – or other similar attacks in Israel or Palestine – effectively puts Israel in the place of the Jews’ historic persecutors. — Joshua Shanes, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecutors

Noun

Red is immediately abducted, cut open in an ambulance, and injected with pain-magnifying drugs by his torturers, while Liz accidentally murders the mysterious man surveilling her next door.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Aaron escapes his torturers, first by rooting himself in the town’s only movie theater open to Black people, and then by lying about his age and enlisting in the Navy at 16.

— Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026

Definition of torturers

Noun

Oliva was being held on an additional bond of $3,650 on charges of possession of a firearm while having a domestic violence injunction, willful disregard of environmental regulations and nuisances injurious to health.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
Macomb County, Michigan Spongy moths, formerly known as gypsy moths, are an invasive insect that can damage trees and create nuisances for residents, county officials said.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of nuisances

Noun

Each nutty denunciation of his imaginary tormentors includes a plea for a presidential pardon.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026
The attacks lead to the fateful events of prom night — a famous moment from King’s original— in which Carrie, who’s become aware of growing telekinetic powers, turns her abilities on her tormenters when she’s finally pushed over the edge.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026

Definition of tormentors

Noun

Trimming plants down to about six or eight inches can promote healthy growth in the spring and help prevent pests and diseases from infiltrating.

— Macie Stump, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2026
Direct ownership is highly illiquid and comes with management costs, property taxes, harvesting expenses, exposure to local timber markets, and risks including wildfire, pests, disease and trespassers hunting or cutting trees.

— Kevin Williams, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of pests

Noun

The third season sees Ranma and fiancée Akane have to deal with old annoyances, new dangers, and even more shenanigans.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
People are exhausted by subscriptions, signing up for apps, logins, passwords, and other first-world annoyances that are now common in the search to watch a game on TV.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of annoyances

Noun

The Harlem rapper chose 2026, after a few teases and false starts, to end an eight-year gap in his discography.

— Elise Brisco, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
Even though the chat took place at the Javits Center, where New York Comic Con will be held over the next few days, the point of the session was not plot teases or fan service.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of teases

Noun

With the election approaching, Netanyahu is under pressure to demonstrate a strong show of force against Palestinian attackers to bolster his image for Israelis concerned with security.

— Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Jordanian authorities had not confirmed the number of attackers as of Saturday.

— James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of attackers

Browse Nearby Words

persecutor

persecutors

persecutory

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Persecutors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutors. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of persecutors

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes