oppressed
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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
verb
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing oppressed
Beowulf vocabulary
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Macbeth's "Is this a dagger..." soliloquy
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"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“When I see an ICE agent doing something radically bad and harmful, I can recognize that that is a person who is suffering and being oppressed by a deep darkness.”
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
The march was an "international demonstration... in support of Palestinians and all the oppressed around the world", the group added after the ban was announced.
From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026
But if you say you’re fighting a war on behalf of a country’s oppressed people, it’s a good idea—in fact, it is an essential element of the war strategy—to think about this problem.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
The Kurds remain an oppressed people, but one that will fight for freedom for themselves and protection for others.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
What most oppressed him was the consciousness of his own intellectual inferiority.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
