oppressive
Americanadjective
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burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical.
an oppressive king;
oppressive laws.
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causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc..
oppressive heat.
-
distressing or grievous.
oppressive sorrows.
adjective
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cruel, harsh, or tyrannical
-
heavy, constricting, or depressing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of oppressive
First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin oppresīvus, equivalent to Latin oppress(us) “pressed down” ( see oppress) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Think of something crushing you, and you will understand what oppressive is. It can be something that crushes your spirit, like a bad relationship, or something that crushes you with its tyranny, like the oppressive rule of a dictator. Oppressive comes in many flavors; laws can be oppressive, governments can be oppressive, even relationships can be oppressive. The adjective oppressive is heavy stuff; it can feel like you can't breathe, like something is choking you: "His oppressive behavior made me feel like I was being smothered." If something is just too intense, and not in a good way, that also can feel oppressive.
Vocabulary lists containing oppressive
The Sweltering Words of Summer
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"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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Tuck Everlasting
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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.
He was left in tears following a gruelling first-round loss at the US Open and spoke about struggling with a "serious health condition" that particularly bothered him in oppressive conditions.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Residents rely on portable lamps, rechargeable lights and cellphone flashlights as temperatures remain oppressive deep into the night.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Afghani activist Roya Mahboob stressed that women who live under oppressive regimes like the Taliban can secure financial independence only with tools, like Bitcoin, that circumvent the law.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
According to the weather service office in Tampa, Fla., a dew point of below 60 degrees is comfortable; above 65 feels muggy; above 70, very humid and uncomfortable; and above 75, oppressive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Perhaps it was only his imagination, but the air of the land around Spiral Castle had seemed, to Taran, heavy and oppressive.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
