oppress

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb oppress differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of oppress are aggrieve, persecute, and wrong. While all these words mean "to injure unjustly or outrageously," oppress suggests inhumane imposing of burdens one cannot endure or exacting more than one can perform.

a people oppressed by a warmongering tyrant

When could aggrieve be used to replace oppress?

In some situations, the words aggrieve and oppress are roughly equivalent. However, aggrieve implies suffering caused by an infringement or denial of rights.

a legal aid society representing aggrieved minority groups

When might persecute be a better fit than oppress?

Although the words persecute and oppress have much in common, persecute implies a relentless and unremitting subjection to annoyance or suffering.

a child persecuted by constant criticism

When is it sensible to use wrong instead of oppress?

While the synonyms wrong and oppress are close in meaning, wrong implies inflicting injury either unmerited or out of proportion to what one deserves.

a penal system that had wronged him

Examples of oppress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As global systems continue to fail humanity and all life on Earth, the journey taken by trans people – and all peoples who have been oppressed – is a blueprint of possibility. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 4 Sep. 2024 These leaders say contributions 'systemically oppressed' Behind on your energy bill? Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 9 July 2024 Akane put a great deal of weight on the fact that Ansar Dine declared its purpose was to impose religious law but did not proclaim an intention to oppress women. Jina Moore Ngarambe, The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2024 The moment becomes a catalyst for Tell’s own radicalization, prompting him to abandon the luxury of holding pacifist beliefs and accept the idea that the truly oppressed only have one way out. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for oppress 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oppress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near oppress

Cite this Entry

“Oppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppress. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on oppress

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