oppress
verb (used with object)
to burden with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power.
were oppressing
-
past progressiveof oppress.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The Sergeant-Major's impatience was barely concealed; those returns were oppressing him horribly.
From Men, Women and Guns by H. C. (Herman Cyril) McNeile
Incubus: something that weighs down and hinders. religious wars in the Netherlands: between the Protestant Dutch and the Catholic Spaniards, who were oppressing the country through great part of the sixteenth century.
From The History of London by Sir Walter Besant
Then they returned to Mongolia because the Yellow Lamas called them to light against the Kings of Tibet, Lamas of the 'red caps,' who were oppressing the people.
From Beasts, Men and Gods by Ferdinand Ossendowski
"Perhaps it was indignation against the strong who were oppressing the weak?"
From Jena or Sedan? by Franz Beyerlein
We established our quarters in the barracks assigned to us by the municipality; the Austrians built complete fortresses, as is their practice, with the money of the people they were oppressing.
From The Roman Question by Edmond About
