Meaning & use
oppressive
Exercising authority or power in a harsh, unjust, and burdensome way.
See it in a sentence
The oppressive regime silenced any journalist who criticized the government.
Workers finally organized against the factory's oppressive schedule and low pay.
A note on using this word
Oppressive can also describe weather that feels unbearably heavy or humid, extending the sense of something pressing down on you.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
liberating
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Of weather: uncomfortably hot, heavy, or humid.
The oppressive summer heat kept most people indoors by midafternoon.
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