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 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 oppress After all, how can a man propped up as the symbol of the poor, disabled, and oppressed simultaneously be the oppressor? Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Oct. 2024 Her art offers the world a chance to learn about the richly complicated reality underneath the schematic picture of Israel as a society of oppressors and oppressed that is all too often disseminated by anti-Zionists. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for oppress 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppress
Verb
  • Domestic production rose by $2.3 billion by 2021, but the tariffs depressed output by $3.5 billion at U.S. makers of things like tools, auto parts and machinery, the ITC found.
    Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
  • In our view, a 10 percent global tariff would act like a consumption tax that subtracts from growth and could depress business spending in the short term.
    Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The shelves above it have a display of intriguing objects that don’t overwhelm the room; the mirror reflects daylight, but not at eye level which could be distracting.
    Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Cold-weather styles tend to involve longer hemlines and voluminous silhouettes that can overwhelm petite frames.
    Esme Benjamin, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The report said the fees disproportionately burden lower-income households, which tend to make smaller, more frequent electronic deposits into their children’s accounts.
    Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Trump believes regulations unnecessarily burden companies, especially small- and medium-sized businesses.
    Rohit Arora, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • While many athletes would be devastated, Ellis saw it as an opportunity to pursue his original dream: a career in entertainment.
    Eric Andersson, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Western North Carolina was devastated by extreme flooding after Hurricane Helene in late September, raising concerns about election access.
    Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • They are beaten, they are tortured, they are raped, they are shot, hanged, and starved.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Alas, there isn’t enough facial hair in the world to hide the fact at hand: This Mad Lib of a movie amounts to an extremely self-serious remix of the same old tropes that Neeson has already tortured to death.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • To overcome this, build self-awareness and emotional intelligence internally first.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
  • However, the article notes this training will likely be easier for happy chasers because dogs who are angry or fearful bee-chasers have stronger emotions to overcome.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • But she is also saddened to hear people making excuses for not voting.
    La Risa R. Lynch, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Most recently, she was saddened that the Nirvana singer never got to experience Google Maps or any other navigation tech.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023.
    Variety, NBC News, 21 Oct. 2024
  • In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Spring Independent School District's superintendent, Lupita Hinojosa, said she was troubled by the accounts but indicated they were limited in scope.
    David Chiu, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near oppress

Cite this Entry

“Oppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppress. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on oppress

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!