aggrieve

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb aggrieve differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of aggrieve are oppress, persecute, and wrong. While all these words mean "to injure unjustly or outrageously," aggrieve implies suffering caused by an infringement or denial of rights.

a legal aid society representing aggrieved minority groups

When can oppress be used instead of aggrieve?

While in some cases nearly identical to aggrieve, oppress suggests inhumane imposing of burdens one cannot endure or exacting more than one can perform.

a people oppressed by a warmongering tyrant

In what contexts can persecute take the place of aggrieve?

Although the words persecute and aggrieve have much in common, persecute implies a relentless and unremitting subjection to annoyance or suffering.

a child persecuted by constant criticism

Where would wrong be a reasonable alternative to aggrieve?

The words wrong and aggrieve can be used in similar contexts, but wrong implies inflicting injury either unmerited or out of proportion to what one deserves.

a penal system that had wronged him

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of aggrieve British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a chemicals magnate and an avid outdoorsman, was aggrieved when Land Rover replaced its rugged and rudimentary old Defender with a design that shares its engineering principles with current passenger cars. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2023 Amazon prohibits class action lawsuits in which aggrieved sellers can aggregate their claims and have their case decided by a judge or a jury. Sandeep Vaheesan, The New Republic, 28 Feb. 2023 He was aggrieved when Hitler, in an attempt to make the National Socialists more palatable to the middle class, opposed the Rural People’s Movement, a popular anti-Weimar tax revolt, which was commendably trying to blow up buildings in Berlin. Thomas Meaney, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Feb. 2023 Foreigners who aggrieve the Chinese Communist Party seriously enough typically get banned from the country. Tiffany Ap, Quartz, 4 Feb. 2022 See all Example Sentences for aggrieve 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggrieve
Verb
  • Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was perturbed that the sun was brought up again as an issue in his $1.2 billion retractable roof stadium, which has glass doors on either end.
    Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2024
  • As the grandson of four immigrants who landed on Ellis Island, David has become particularly perturbed by debate in the U.S. around immigration.
    Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The findings, published in the journal PLOS Biology, point to innovative strategies for combating a disease that afflicts millions annually.
    Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
  • The pastor asked the group to name some of the plagues that afflicted Egypt.
    Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Many here see her as the embodiment of an America undergoing a cultural shift that threatens the heritage and political sensibilities of an old frontier town disquieted by changing times and suspicious of alternative lifestyles.
    Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024
  • One of Biden’s challenges is that some of the Black men who are paying close attention in Macon are deeply disquieted by the influx of migrants at the U.S.’s southern border and the amount of money that his administration has committed to stopping Russia’s war in Ukraine.
    Maeve Reston, Washington Post, 30 June 2024
Verb
  • Jeudy had torched Wallace and tormented the Empower Field crowd that used to root for him.
    Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Christmas Vacation excels best in the chaos, from Clark’s yuppie neighbors being perpetually tormented by him to the anarchic family dinners (blissfully unaware Aunt Bethany is our personal MVP).
    EW.com, EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The conflict arrived in Beirut this September, after Israel launched a major ground and air offensive, kicking off with an operation in which members of Hezbollah were killed and maimed when their pagers and walkie talkies exploded.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The Times' account included details of a 14-year-old boy who was maimed while cleaning a conveyor belt in a deboning area at a Perdue slaughterhouse in rural Virginia.
    Kate Gibson, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The Cowboys were upset by the Packers at AT&T Stadium to end their playoff run last season, leaving much up for question with Prescott and McCarthy heading into the 2024 season on their last year of their deals.
    Scott Thompson, Fox News, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Knight’s ice cold booking led to a lukewarm reaction from the fans in attendance, who only responded when Knight was shockingly upset by Nakamura.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • As the Assads lived a life of luxury, their regime locked up, tortured and killed thousands of its citizens.
    Richard Engel, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Throughout the decades of the Assads’ rule, resistance of any kind was brutally quashed, and offenders were detained and tortured in a network of dozens of facilities across the country.
    Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • While grandiose leaders can inspire but alienate, vulnerable leaders may foster a tense, uncertain work environment.
    Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • And preventing all crucial materials from reaching the U.S. would be difficult to enforce, considering the complex global supply chain, and might alienate other trade partners such as Taiwan or South Korea in the process.
    Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near aggrieve

Cite this Entry

“Aggrieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggrieve. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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