as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
forced to live under an oppressively cruel government
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oppressively
The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
This type of behavior would have seemed brazen in 2019, when trains were oppressively crowded and riders sensed their vulnerability to theft and other forms of disorder.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Apr. 2025
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
This type of behavior would have seemed brazen in 2019, when trains were oppressively crowded and riders sensed their vulnerability to theft and other forms of disorder.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressively
Adverb
-
Patrick Soon-Shiong, a controversial figure in the biotech industry, was harshly criticized by the Food and Drug Administration for making several false and misleading claims about a cancer treatment in television ads and a podcast.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Markets interpreted the message quickly and harshly.—
Benzinga,
Freep.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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In the midst of the conversion, a board member named Holden Karnofsky objected to it, arguing that the nonprofit was being severely undervalued.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Tehran now relies heavily on its Shahed drones, with its missile production and launch capacity severely diminished.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Ripa had a brutally honest response locked and loaded.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
And for those who gave their lives, Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered, and Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressively. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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