oppress Hear it!

oppress definition

op·press (ə pres′)

transitive verb

  1. to weigh heavily on the mind, spirits, or senses of; worry; trouble
  2. to keep down by the cruel or unjust use of power or authority; rule harshly; tyrannize over
  3. Obsolete
    1. to crush; trample down
    2. to overpower; subdue

Etymology: ME oppressen < OFr oppresser < ML oppressare < L oppressus, pp. of opprimere, to press against < ob- (see ob-) + premere, press

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

oppress Synonyms

oppress

v.

trouble, plague, suppress, trample, harass, wrong, worry, crush, annoy, maltreat, hinder, vex, handicap, overload, hamper, strain, encumber, press down, beat down, saddle, smother, hound, ride roughshod over, burden with, depress, dispirit, dishearten, bear hard upon, go ill with, lie on, keep under, keep down, take liberties with, put upon; see also abuse 1, bother 2. See syn. study at wrong.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

oppress Usage Examples

Object

  • nationality: The revolutionary character of the problem of the oppressed nationalities.

Subject

  • imperialism: In Third World nationalism it is the middle class intelligentsia oppressed by imperialism.

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.

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.
oppress usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

oppress quotes

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.

-Washington Bailey

oppress quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"oppress." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/oppress>

APA Style

oppress. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/oppress

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