put-upon

adjective

put-up·​on ˈpu̇t-ə-ˌpȯn How to pronounce put-upon (audio)
-ˌpän
: imposed upon : taken advantage of

Examples of put-upon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As sportswriter Raymond Barone, Romano kept the laughs coming through interactions with his overbearing parents and put-upon wife Debra. Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026 Emily, by the way, was Miranda’s ambitious but put-upon assistant in the first movie and wants to seize control of Runway from her old boss — a reflection of ongoing rumors that Bezos would like to buy all of Condé Nast as a gift for his wife, who once worked as a TV reporter. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 4 May 2026 The latter is less of a mother to Agnes than Rosa (Kira Guloien), one of the household’s many Marthas (put-upon domestic servants). Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026 Norris did, and scored the leading role of a put-upon trucker in Breaker! Bob Mondello, NPR, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for put-upon

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of put-upon was in 1866

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Cite this Entry

“Put-upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/put-upon. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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