Showing results for "oppressed"

• past tense form of oppress.
• past participle of oppress.

oppressed

American  

[uh-prest] / əˈprɛst /

adjective

1. burdened with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subjected to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power.

   He's spent over three years documenting the lives of poor, exploited, and oppressed peoples in Latin America.

2. weighed down by thoughts or feelings that lie heavily on the mind or spirit.

   The fix for a hurt heart, broken spirit, or oppressed mind is not always easy, but there is a path to recovery.

---

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Usually the oppressed oppressed people collectively.

   We cannot proclaim individual liberty and at the same time show no solidarity with the oppressed.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of oppress.

Other Word Forms

• unoppressed
  adjective

---

Etymology

Origin of oppressed

First recorded in 1350–1400; oppress ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

---

Explanation

To be oppressed is to be exploited or systematically harmed by others. People who have no freedom are oppressed, and are sometimes referred to collectively as "the oppressed." Being oppressed is a negative and unfair condition. The United States was founded because we felt oppressed by the rule of England. African-Americans, Native Americans, women, gays, and other minority groups have all been oppressed by prejudice and unfair laws. So people who are oppressed tend to be angry — and for good reason. Oppressed people tend to fight for their freedom, and they often get it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oppressed

“I didn’t want that clean, wholesome life ... It felt so fake. I identified with real people, oppressed people who were outside that life. I wanted to taste real life — street life.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Faux explained that, theoretically, yes, there are many ways that Bitcoin could serve the marginalized and oppressed: It could be used in international remittances; it could protect wealth against irresponsible governments.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

He posted Tuesday that "artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed."

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Talarico, believing God is on the side of the oppressed and the marginalized, focuses his message to voters on equity and protecting personal freedom.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

This is easy for him, since the only thing they ask of him is not to be oppressed.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• abused
• destitute
• distressed
• enslaved
• exploited
• helpless
• persecuted

---