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.
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distressing or grievous.
oppressive sorrows.
adjective
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cruel, harsh, or tyrannical
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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.
U.S. government data shows that international travel has cooled off some this year, but airlines have said European trips remain in demand despite long immigration lines and oppressive heat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
So why do so many people swear this summer has felt so unusually oppressive?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Patterson's solicitor additionally accused the prosecution of an "unfair and oppressive" cross-examination during the trial.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
For decades, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, known as DRL, has supported human rights in some of the most oppressive countries in the world.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
The book examines how individuals and institutions—victims, perpetrators, and bystanders—know about yet deny the occurrence of oppressive acts.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle 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.
