oppress

[ uh-pres ]

verb (used with object)

1. to burden with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power:

   a people oppressed by totalitarianism.

   Synonyms: persecute, maltreat

2. to lie heavily upon (the mind, a person, etc.):

   Care and sorrow oppressed them.

   Antonyms: encourage, uphold

3. to weigh down, as sleep or weariness does.
4. Archaic. to put down; subdue or suppress.
5. Archaic. to press upon or against; crush.

oppress

/ əˈprɛs /

verb

1. to subjugate by cruelty, force, etc
2. to afflict or torment
3. to lie heavy on (the mind, imagination, etc)
4. See overwhelm
   an obsolete word for overwhelm

Derived Forms

• opˈpressor, noun
• opˈpressingly, adverb

Other Words From

• op·press·i·ble adjective
• op·pres·sor noun
• pre·op·press verb (used with object)
• re·op·press verb (used with object)
• un·op·press·i·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oppress¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English oppressen, from Middle French oppresser, from Medieval Latin oppressāre, derivative of Latin oppressus, past participle of opprimere “to squeeze, suffocate,” equivalent to op- “to, toward, against” + -primere (combining form of premere ) “to press”; op-, press ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of oppress¹

C14: via Old French from Medieval Latin oppressāre, from Latin opprimere, from ob- against + premere to press

Synonym Study

Oppress, depress, both having the literal meaning to press down upon, to cause to sink, are today mainly limited to figurative applications. To oppress is usually to subject (a people) to burdens, to undue exercise of authority, and the like; its chief application, therefore, is to a social or political situation: a tyrant oppressing his subjects. Depress suggests mainly the psychological effect, upon the individual, of unpleasant conditions, situations, etc., that sadden and discourage: depressed by the news. When oppress is sometimes used in this sense, it suggests a psychological attitude of more complete hopelessness: oppressed by a sense of failure.

Example Sentences

To make sure that we are committing to governing by including those who feel that they’ve been forgotten, oppressed and overlooked.

From Fortune

The fact that women can occupy the dual role of oppressor and oppressed is a reality that is still not fully understood.

From No Straight News

My grandparents, Vartan and Yersapet, were among the proud but oppressed Armenian minorities in the Ottoman province of Adana.

From Outside Online

People are just so angered, and their anger is directed at us, because we are part of the machine and the system that has oppressed them.

From ProPublica

The AI community is finally waking up to the fact that machine learning can cause disproportionate harm to already oppressed and disadvantaged groups.

From MIT Technology Review

Instead, it was proof the government is out to oppress them.

From The Daily Beast

Few will be heartened by the fact that the debt will oppress race-neutrally.

From The Daily Beast

Sure, as Sotomayor wrote, “democratically approved legislation can oppress minority groups.”

From The Daily Beast

You can only oppress a community for so long before they will fight with toothpicks against machine guns.

From The Daily Beast

Hamas claims to be fighting for freedom while invoking laws that oppress women and religious minorities.

From The Daily Beast

Let him that escapeth be consumed by the rage of the fire: and let them perish that oppress thy people.

From Project Gutenberg

The general sense clearly is, that the friars oppress the weak, but not the strong.

From Project Gutenberg

I never injured a creature in my life, and can not find it in my heart to wish evil even to those who injure and oppress me.

From Project Gutenberg

In the first place, I am an Anarchist: I do not believe in man-made law, designed to enslave and oppress humanity.

From Project Gutenberg

The employment of children and apprentices enabled the masters to oppress them; they were unable to earn more than 8s.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• afflict
• annoy
• beat down
• harass
• maltreat
• overwhelm
• persecute
• pick on
• prey on
• subjugate
• suppress
• torment
• torture
• trample
• vex