oppressive

[uh-pres-iv]

See more synonyms for oppressive on Thesaurus.com

adjective

burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical: an oppressive king; oppressive laws.
causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc.: oppressive heat.
distressing or grievous: oppressive sorrows.

Origin of oppressive

1620–30; < Medieval Latin oppresīvus, equivalent to oppress(us) (see oppress) + -īvus -ive

Related formsop·pres·sive·ly, adverbop·pres·sive·ness, nounnon·op·pres·sive, adjectivenon·op·pres·sive·ly, adverbnon·op·pres·sive·ness, nounself-op·pres·sive, adjectiveun·op·pres·sive, adjectiveun·op·pres·sive·ly, adverbun·op·pres·sive·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for oppressive

Contemporary Examples

Demographic changes are making that community less dogmatic, even through the Castro regime remains an oppressive dictatorship.
The Liberation of the Lame Duck: Obama Goes Full Bulworth
John Avlon
December 19, 2014
In other words, markets were impersonal, but that was good, because sometimes personal ties were cruel and oppressive.
Why Your Waiter Hates You
Jedediah Purdy
October 26, 2014
And of course there is the truly bad touch that is humiliating, oppressive and often painful.
Patted Down by India’s Hugging Saint
Daniel Genis
July 20, 2014
At this point the hot, oppressive cloud-cover was beginning to part, and the moon was rising high above the desert.
The Night the SEALS Captured the Butcher of Fallujah
Patrick Robinson
November 11, 2013
Starting today, an Internet user in an oppressive country can swap online identities with someone in the West.
Google Sends a Lifeline to Internet Users in Iran and China
Josh Rogin
October 21, 2013

Historical Examples

There the flush and bloom of newness were oppressive to the right-minded.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
If formed on equal and just principles, it can not be oppressive.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
Not a sound disturbed the oppressive quiet, not the quiver of a twig.
A Woman Tenderfoot
Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson
The day was sultry, and the heat, even in the dense shade of the jungle, oppressive.
The Monster Men
Edgar Rice Burroughs
His wristbands and collar were oppressive; his voice and manner were oppressive.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for oppressive

oppressive

adjective

cruel, harsh, or tyrannical
heavy, constricting, or depressing

Derived Formsoppressively, adverboppressiveness, noun

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 oppressive

adj.

1640s, from Medieval Latin oppressivus, from oppress-, past participle stem of opprimere (see oppress). Related: Oppressively; oppressiveness.

oppressive

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;}}oppressive

Related Words

Examples from the Web for oppressive

Contemporary Examples

Demographic changes are making that community less dogmatic, even through the Castro regime remains an oppressive dictatorship.

In other words, markets were impersonal, but that was good, because sometimes personal ties were cruel and oppressive.

And of course there is the truly bad touch that is humiliating, oppressive and often painful.

At this point the hot, oppressive cloud-cover was beginning to part, and the moon was rising high above the desert.

Starting today, an Internet user in an oppressive country can swap online identities with someone in the West.

Historical Examples

There the flush and bloom of newness were oppressive to the right-minded.

If formed on equal and just principles, it can not be oppressive.

Not a sound disturbed the oppressive quiet, not the quiver of a twig.

The day was sultry, and the heat, even in the dense shade of the jungle, oppressive.

His wristbands and collar were oppressive; his voice and manner were oppressive.

oppressive

Word Origin and History for oppressive

adj.

Origin of oppressive