oppress
op·press (ə pres′)
transitive verb
- to weigh heavily on the mind, spirits, or senses of; worry; trouble
- to keep down by the cruel or unjust use of power or authority; rule harshly; tyrannize over
- Obsolete
- to crush; trample down
- to overpower; subdue
Etymology: ME oppressen < OFr oppresser < ML oppressare < L oppressus, pp. of opprimere, to press against < ob- (see ob-) + premere, press
oppress
v.
Object
- nationality: The revolutionary character of the problem of the oppressed nationalities.
- minority: They've got out of the land of Egypt where they were slaves, an oppressed minority.
- nation: Nevertheless we champion the right of all oppressed nations to self-determination.
- widow: Who is going to wipe the tears of the oppressed widows?
- peasant: The Soviet Press knows how to describe in lurid terms the fate of the oppressed peasants in Poland.
- mass: ISR is not neutral on international issues; we are on the side of the oppressed masses.
Subject
- imperialism: In Third World nationalism it is the middle class intelligentsia oppressed by imperialism.
- regime: The US administration thus demonstrates that it cares nothing for ordinary people oppressed by sadistic regimes.
Noun phrase with adjective complement
- such: She is a liberal of the second variety who favors positive action to promote minority or oppressed groups such as women or ethnic minorities.
Modifying Another Word
- cruelly: So they cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.
- brutally: The vast majority of those who support NATO do so because they understand that the Kosovars were being brutally oppressed by Milosevic.
- greatly: V2: 2 they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.
- so: Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye?
- long: For the first time in Iraq's modern history the Shias, a long oppressed majority, are likely to take power.
- still: We know of many countries around the world which still oppress their people and deny them their rights.
Used with why or when
- who: Internationally, it will be the working class and oppressed who will suffer the terrible consequences of the crisis.
Present participle complement
- work: Those chicken breasts step by step that oppress working effective premium or.
Preposition: of
- world: The reality is that socialist ideas offer the poor and oppressed of the world a way out of their condition.
Preposition: by
- imperialism: In Third World nationalism it is the middle class intelligentsia oppressed by imperialism.
- regime: The US administration thus demonstrates that it cares nothing for ordinary people oppressed by sadistic regimes.
Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.
Browse dictionary entries near oppress
- opposition
- oppositely
- opposite number
- opposite
- opposing
- opposed
- oppose
- opposable
- opportunity cost
- opportunity
- oppressed
- oppression
- oppressive
- oppressively
- opprobrious
- opprobrium
- oppugn
- oppugnant
- Ops
- opsin
