oppressed; oppressing; oppresses
1
a
: to crush or burden by abuse of power or authority
The country has long been oppressed by a ruthless dictator.
oppressed minorities
b
archaic
: suppress
2
: to burden spiritually or mentally : weigh heavily upon
oppressed by a sense of failure
oppress by intolerable guilt
Examples of oppress in a Sentence
The country has long been oppressed by a ruthless dictator.
They condemned attempts by the government to oppress its citizens.
people who have traditionally been oppressed by society
Recent Examples on the Web
Rather than change the structures that oppress the masses, Benjamin writes, the fascist merely offers the masses a spectacle that gives them the impression that their desires have been met.
—
Constance Grady, Vox, 25 Apr. 2025
His emphasis on God’s love and his demand that the church go out and minister to oppressed and needy people impressed even those who disagreed with him.
—Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
According to the theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez, a contributor to the development of Latin American liberation theology, God does not remain neutral when people are oppressed, so neither should human leaders.
—Annmarie Caño, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2025
Lopakhin and Varya are pushed together throughout the play, but poor Varya, also born working class, will never be able to break through the part of Lopakhin that still idolizes the very nobility that oppressed his family for generations.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppress
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Constance Grady, Vox, 25 Apr. 2025
His emphasis on God’s love and his demand that the church go out and minister to oppressed and needy people impressed even those who disagreed with him.
—Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
According to the theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez, a contributor to the development of Latin American liberation theology, God does not remain neutral when people are oppressed, so neither should human leaders.
—Annmarie Caño, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2025
Lopakhin and Varya are pushed together throughout the play, but poor Varya, also born working class, will never be able to break through the part of Lopakhin that still idolizes the very nobility that oppressed his family for generations.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppress
Cite this Entry
“Oppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oppress. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share