OPPRESSED Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

oppressed 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈprest

Definition of oppressed

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

oppressed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of oppress

as in depressed

to make sad this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 oppressed

Adjective

The Irish were the original oppressed people from the English Empire, and the original colony. — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026 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. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 May 2026

Verb

Man oppressed woman legally, economically, socially, educationally, morally, professionally and religiously. — Brian Delay, Mercury News, 4 July 2026 Your structure sorts the whole world into two boxes, oppressor and oppressed. — Joyce Kamanitz, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for oppressed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressed

Verb

Ken Urker, the partner of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, made comments about being depressed before being found dead in his Louisiana home from an apparent drug overdose, authorities said.

— Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
However, the forecast predicts that AI investment will begin to produce job gains next year and in 2028, even as the cuts have depressed California’s jobs picture.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of depressed

Verb

The graphic descriptions of internal brain trauma overwhelmed the jury box, prompting the judge to call a recess Friday.

— Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Kirschner said that his staff has been overwhelmed with homeless individuals causing property damage and harassing customers.

— Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of overwhelmed

Verb

But Washburn is further troubled by A-83’s language mandating hunting and angling as preferred methods of wildlife management.

— Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Although California had technically abolished slavery in its 1849 constitution, no legal authority troubled Smith about his human property.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of troubled

Verb

Decades of deforestation have devastated vast areas of orangutan habitat, pushing the animals into smaller pockets, increasing their vulnerability to poachers.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Going on two years after the wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, a popular moviehouse is ready for its closeup.

— Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of devastated

Verb

Hundreds of thousands of women were tried, tortured, and executed for witchcraft in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
According to Bilal and his brother Judy, neither Ahmed nor anyone else in his family had ever been arrested or tortured by the regime.

— Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of tortured

Verb

The move comes after the Astros overcame a plethora of injuries to win the AL West with an 81-81 record and become the first team in Major League Baseball history to reach the postseason without a winning record.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
The Cardinals overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Dodgers, 4-2, in the NLCS, while the Royals rallied from 2-0 down to defeat the Blue Jays, 4-3, in the ALCS.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcame

Verb

Because Sand has not served in a legislative capacity, he isn’t burdened by a controversial voting record on leftist policies, as is Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who is also trying to flip a red state seat.

— Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
But more than 85% of owners who earn $35,000 or more are not cost-burdened.

— Ira Goldstein, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of burdened

Browse Nearby Words

oppress

oppressed

oppresses

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Oppressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressed. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of oppressed

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes