oppressive
adjective
burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical.
oppressively
-
a word derived from
oppressive.
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.
“But I got so oppressively excited in my 20s that I started annoying people. My lesson was walk it back.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
But as the court explained, the legitimacy of the courts as institutions is not something to be shrugged off in favor of oppressively strict legal rules.
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026
There are 29 of them, and they are unrelievedly and oppressively gloomy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
It is a tantalizing idea, a seeming off-ramp from the oppressively bleak reality of the near future, which may well include a seriously overheated planet where life in some places becomes unsustainable levels.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2024
It was an oppressively hot and muggy day, and it was sweltering inside the crowded space of Independence Hall.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
