oppressive
[uh-pres-iv]
- 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.
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Origin of oppressive
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
moisture, evaporation, humidity, dampness, oppressiveness, heaviness, thickness, dew, wet, sultriness, steam, clamminess, wetness, dankness, vaporization, stickiness, swelterExamples from the Web for oppressiveness
Historical Examples
In its times of least oppressiveness it was an enormity, if he were innocent.
Sir Walter RaleghWilliam Stebbing
He got the feeling of being expected to contribute to the oppressiveness of the occasion.
FidelitySusan Glaspell
For a moment the stillness seemed tangible in its oppressiveness.
Phases of an Inferior PlanetEllen Glasgow
In order to give you a faint idea of the oppressiveness of our etiquette, I shall mention a few examples.
Letters of a Javanese PrincessRaden Adjeng Kartini
He had no doubt of the oppressiveness of Republican rule, and the need of shaking it off by vigorous measures.
The Negro and the NationGeorge S. Merriam
oppressive
- cruel, harsh, or tyrannical
- heavy, constricting, or depressing
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for oppressiveness
oppressive
adj.
1640s, from Medieval Latin oppressivus, from oppress-, past participle stem of opprimere (see oppress). Related: Oppressively; oppressiveness.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper