put-upon

[poot-uh-pon, -pawn]

adjective

1. imposed upon; ill-used.

put upon

verb

1. to presume on (a person's generosity, good nature, etc); take advantage of

   he's always being put upon

2. to impose hardship on; maltreat

Word History and Origins

Origin of put-upon¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

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

She could be sweet, evil, overbearing, put-upon, thoughtful, impulsive, girlish, vulnerable or manipulative and superimpose selected qualities for extra complexity, always with a compressed energy, obvious or veiled.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• afflict 
• annoy 
• beat down 
• harass 
• maltreat 
• overwhelm 
• persecute 
• pick on 
• prey on 
• subjugate 
• suppress 
• torment 
• torture 
• trample 
• vex