downtrodden

[doun-trod-n]

See more synonyms for downtrodden on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

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. 2018

Examples from the Web for downtrodden

Contemporary Examples

But it was good news to the poor, the diseased, the downtrodden and scorned, and all the “little” people.
Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It.
Gene Robinson
December 25, 2014
The Boulevard Carnot, the seedy, downtrodden street that leads out of town, proved the point on my last night there.
No Movie Stars, No Red Carpet, But Off-Season Cannes Is Still Magic
Liza Foreman
September 15, 2014
But Alig is far from the unshaven and downtrodden man profiled in New York Magazine in 2007.
The Party Monster Lives For the Applause: Michael Alig’s Second Act
Caitlin Dickson
February 28, 2014
Responding to all them—especially the ones from “downtrodden” teens in the middle of the country—made him feel good.
The Party Monster Lives For the Applause: Michael Alig’s Second Act
Caitlin Dickson
February 28, 2014
He sympathized with the Irish downtrodden, African slaves, and American colonists of the late 1700s.
We Are Radicals at Heart: A New History Gets America Wrong
Harvey J. Kaye
December 5, 2013

Historical Examples

In the first place, she was a poor, downtrodden woman; in the second, she was their broker.
In a Little Town
Rupert Hughes
He was an arrant coward like the most of his downtrodden race.
Tess of the Storm Country
Grace Miller White
From ind to ind of the land, the downtrodden serfs of Ireland are rising in their millions.
My New Curate
P.A. Sheehan
The German Yorick was the champion of the oppressed and downtrodden.
Laurence Sterne in Germany
Harvey Waterman Thayer
He was badly dressed, and bore a sad, depressed, downtrodden aspect.
The Vicar of Bullhampton
Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for downtrodden

downtrodden

downtrod

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 downtrodden

adj.

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

downtrodden

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}downtrodden

Related Words

Examples from the Web for downtrodden

Contemporary Examples

But it was good news to the poor, the diseased, the downtrodden and scorned, and all the “little” people.

The Boulevard Carnot, the seedy, downtrodden street that leads out of town, proved the point on my last night there.

But Alig is far from the unshaven and downtrodden man profiled in New York Magazine in 2007.

Responding to all them—especially the ones from “downtrodden” teens in the middle of the country—made him feel good.

He sympathized with the Irish downtrodden, African slaves, and American colonists of the late 1700s.

Historical Examples

In the first place, she was a poor, downtrodden woman; in the second, she was their broker.

He was an arrant coward like the most of his downtrodden race.

From ind to ind of the land, the downtrodden serfs of Ireland are rising in their millions.

The German Yorick was the champion of the oppressed and downtrodden.

He was badly dressed, and bore a sad, depressed, downtrodden aspect.

downtrodden

downtrod

Word Origin and History for downtrodden

adj.

Origin of downtrodden