Meaning & use

oppressed

adjective·Academic

Kept in a condition of harsh, unjust treatment or control, often by those in power.

See it in a sentence

The novel follows an oppressed community fighting for basic legal rights.

She felt oppressed by the constant criticism from her supervisor.

A note on using this word

Describes prolonged, systemic mistreatment, often by an authority, rather than a single unpleasant incident.

Words with a similar meaning

subjugateddowntroddenpersecuted

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

liberatedfree

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