as in oppressed
suffering grave abuse or injustice at the hands of one in authority
a nation that is still regarded as a refuge for persecuted people from around the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in afflicted
to cause persistent suffering to
people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she likes to persecute her sister with pointless, annoying questions at very inopportune times
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 persecuted
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 June 2026
Supporting people who have too often been, and continue to be, persecuted and othered would be a direct way to address the suffering.
—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
The Lieser family of Jewish industrialists was persecuted by the Nazis, including being imprisoned, and lost almost all their possessions to Nazi seizure.
—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
5 June 2026
Family members and friends were persecuted, arrested, and killed.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
During and shortly after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, too, persecuted Esperantists for the language’s association with anti–nationalism and anarchism.
—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Blanche, who defended the fund at a congressional hearing this week, has said anyone who believes they’ve been persecuted can apply for compensation regardless of political affiliation.
—
Eric Tucker,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Another wore one that read Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness.
—
Stephanie McCrummen,
The Atlantic,
18 May 2026
My parents were supporters of the anti-apartheid movement and various family members were persecuted for being so also.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
In Britain, all the large predators had long since been exterminated and the smaller ones (like foxes) were ruthlessly persecuted.
—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
22 June 2026
Supporting people who have too often been, and continue to be, persecuted and othered would be a direct way to address the suffering.
—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
The Lieser family of Jewish industrialists was persecuted by the Nazis, including being imprisoned, and lost almost all their possessions to Nazi seizure.
—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
5 June 2026
Family members and friends were persecuted, arrested, and killed.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
During and shortly after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, too, persecuted Esperantists for the language’s association with anti–nationalism and anarchism.
—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Blanche, who defended the fund at a congressional hearing this week, has said anyone who believes they’ve been persecuted can apply for compensation regardless of political affiliation.
—
Eric Tucker,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Another wore one that read Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness.
—
Stephanie McCrummen,
The Atlantic,
18 May 2026
My parents were supporters of the anti-apartheid movement and various family members were persecuted for being so also.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecuted
Adjective
-
The Irish were the original oppressed people from the English Empire, and the original colony.
-
The body pointed to the fact that Iran’s Farabi cinema body, which oversees the country’s submission, was directly controlled by the hardline Islamic Republic regime government, which in turn has suppressed freedom of speech and brutally oppressed filmmakers across its 47 years in power.
Verb
-
Jude, meanwhile, was shifting from tossing cones to tugging at his ears, afflicted with the same malady that had landed several of the toddlers on the room’s version of the injury list.
-
They are both afflicted by cognitive and/or hearing issues.
Verb
-
Others are annoyed that its ambiguous language will create confusion over how — or if — the state will enforce compliance.
-
David goes on a tour of the past 250 years and is deeply annoyed by every facet of it.
Verb
-
Silva served as Stockton’s mayor from 2013 to 2017, a term that was plagued by scandal.
-
Drafted in the sixth round, Smack is tasked with stabilizing a position that has plagued Green Bay since Mason Crosby's departure.
Verb
-
Maybe Bill Plaschke would be aware of that, and give due credit, if his hometown major newspaper bothered to have a dedicated correspondent covering one of the city’s NBA teams.
-
For all the breathless coverage devoted to celebrity engagements, weddings, and whirlwind divorces, some of Hollywood’s most enduring love stories involve couples who never bothered with the paperwork.
Verb
-
Pluverge, an ice cream maker at Taste the Tropics, came to the United States on asylum after he was kidnapped and tortured by gang members in his home country.
-
This is just one in a sweaty dungeon of hundreds of TikTok videos that show women being stalked, grabbed, tortured, tossed to the ground, and handcuffed by scary masked soldiers.
Verb
-
But the idea has irritated California’s billionaire class, and some have left the state in protest or threatened to do so.
-
Hasslers, the researchers found, tended to be people who irritated the study respondents but whom the respondents could not escape.
Verb
-
Boston was besieged by the Tartan Army.
-
In the adjacent room, the Shapiro team was equally besieged.
Cite this Entry
“Persecuted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecuted. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
