the downtrodden
noun
: people who are without hope because of being treated badly by powerful people, governments, etc.
He showed compassion for the downtrodden.
Examples of the downtrodden in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The once-compassionate Democratic Party used to mobilize government for the downtrodden and check crony capitalism’s greed.
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Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026
Meghan Andrews’ Beggar Woman and Austyn Myers’ Tobias, giving voice to the downtrodden Dickensian masses, infuse the production with the charm of their singing.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Luke Thompson returns as the second-oldest Bridgerton son, Benedict, while Yerin Ha joins the cast as the downtrodden Sophie Baek.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 29 Jan. 2026
That intrusion aligns with a murder, and of course, the newcomer is the group’s first suspect — until Blanc comes to the rescue, always willing to defend the downtrodden, forgotten, and ignored.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
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Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026
Meghan Andrews’ Beggar Woman and Austyn Myers’ Tobias, giving voice to the downtrodden Dickensian masses, infuse the production with the charm of their singing.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Luke Thompson returns as the second-oldest Bridgerton son, Benedict, while Yerin Ha joins the cast as the downtrodden Sophie Baek.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 29 Jan. 2026
That intrusion aligns with a murder, and of course, the newcomer is the group’s first suspect — until Blanc comes to the rescue, always willing to defend the downtrodden, forgotten, and ignored.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the downtrodden
Cite this Entry
“The downtrodden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20downtrodden. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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