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definitions

downtrodden

[ doun-trod-n ]
/ ˈdaʊnˌtrɒd n /
|

adjective

tyrannized over; oppressed: the downtrodden plebeians of ancient Rome.
trampled upon.

Nearby words

  1. downthrow,
  2. downtick,
  3. downtime,
  4. downtown,
  5. downtrend,
  6. downturn,
  7. downvote,
  8. downward,
  9. downward mobility,
  10. downwardly
Also down·trod.

Origin of downtrodden

First recorded in 1560–70; down1 + trodden
Related formsdown·trod·den·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for downtrod

  • And she rippled on about the freedom of her soul and her downtrod sisters and this here New Dawn.

    Somewhere in Red Gap|Harry Leon Wilson

  • Well, Curly, how are you enjoying yourself now in this hard and downtrod position that life has gave to you?

    The Man Next Door|Emerson Hough

British Dictionary definitions for downtrod

downtrodden

downtrod

/ (ˈdaʊnˌtrɒdən) /

adjective

subjugated; oppressed
trodden down; trampled
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for downtrod

downtrodden

adj.

1560s, "stepped on," from down (adv.) + trodden. Figurative use, "oppressed," is from 1590s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper