put-upon
Americanadjective
verb
-
to presume on (a person's generosity, good nature, etc); take advantage of
he's always being put upon
-
to impose hardship on; maltreat
Etymology
Origin of put-upon
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
While Mescal’s no stranger to playing the put-upon father in his relatively brief yet prolific career, his brooding verges on laughable.
From Salon
He’s as put-upon as the rest of us.
From Salon
But however put-upon we may feel, our kids' failure to overtly and regularly praise us for our maternal virtues is nothing beside the societal lack of appreciation for some of the animal kingdom's great mothers.
From Salon
And he was definitely a star — billed over the adults who played his parents and perennially put-upon neighbor Mr. Wilson, memorably played by the great Joseph Kearns.
From Los Angeles Times
Taking these roles together, especially “Friendship” and “The Dutchman,” in one of them you’re this put-upon wife and the other one you’re this whirlwind, demonic vixen.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
