as in persecuted
suffering grave abuse or injustice at the hands of one in authority
setting out on a quixotic quest to right wrongs and to raise up the oppressed peoples of the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in depressed
to make sad
this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelmed
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
a film about a man who is haunted and oppressed by the secrets of his past
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oppressed
Alan M. Dershowitz,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
The newspaper comic strip ran for over 60 years, following characters in an oppressed medieval kingdom.
—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Gratified right-wingers closely examined the charges and pointed to the prosecution as validation of their belief that conservative Christians across America are being oppressed by violent left-leaning protesters.
—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Adjective
Dahl had no record of support for other minority, oppressed or marginalized group.
—
Alan M. Dershowitz,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
The newspaper comic strip ran for over 60 years, following characters in an oppressed medieval kingdom.
—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
The American origin story is rooted in the notion that George III was its vanquished villain, an irrational tyrant who oppressed the American colonists.
—
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Gratified right-wingers closely examined the charges and pointed to the prosecution as validation of their belief that conservative Christians across America are being oppressed by violent left-leaning protesters.
—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressed
Verb
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Rising costs of components, supply chain constraints, and weaker consumer demand that are all partly linked to the Iran war have depressed smartphone sales in much of the continent, resulting in the slowest growth of shipments to Africa in two years, research firm Omdia said.
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Two Democrats at the top would have depressed Republican turnout for other key races — especially for Congress — in the fall.
Verb
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But the ownership group is overwhelmed by left-wing politics.
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Tipu’s kingdom finally fell in 1799, when British and allied forces overwhelmed his fortress at Seringapatam, a few hours’ drive from present-day Bangalore.
Verb
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As the second half began, Cape Verde continued to hold off the Argentinians and managed a couple of opportunities on the opposition’s goal, though nothing that overly troubled Emiliano Martínez.
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Woolf composed her great modernist novels and her brilliant essays while troubled by suicidal thoughts and the tumult of two world wars.
Verb
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Earlier that day, Contreras had broken down in tears while talking about the deadly earthquakes that devastated his native Venezuela.
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Carr, who has spent decades documenting South Florida's Indigenous history, said the region's Native population had been devastated long before the American Revolution.
Verb
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Walker was abducted, raped, tortured and murdered after attending a Valentine’s Day dance with her boyfriend.
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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.
Verb
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The Knicks overcame several double-digit point deficits to win the 2026 NBA championship, their first in 53 years.
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Heide Hafner, Miss Subways 1976, overcame obstacles like sexism to earn her pilot's license.
Verb
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Trump had argued that a president shouldn’t be burdened with defending himself against decades-old charges.
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The armed forces, already burdened by years of public distrust, now face what analysts say could be a near-total collapse in legitimacy.
Verb
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Often the materials are crushed, milled, then reused directly on-site at the job where they were removed.
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But most of those indigenous sites are inaccessible to the public, or they have been buried and crushed under the foundations of new skyscrapers and development.
Cite this Entry
“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressed. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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