as in harsh
difficult to endure
an oppressive regime that rules through terror
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Recent Examples of oppressive
Related Stories Farrelly thinks that kind of oppressive political correctness is fading and that audiences are eager to see movies that eviscerate good taste in order to land a joke again.
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Pitted against the unforgettably evil Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a sadist who drugs and abuses the unlucky patients in her care, McMurphy’s stand against the oppressive powers that be is tragic and poignant and spoke to the spirit of a time in which so many felt misunderstood.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Maybe Shinhye’s unhappiness is solely the product of life under an oppressive government, but maybe some of it is a depression or sense of isolation that would have been hers regardless.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Rich asserted that the presumption of heterosexuality/attraction to men for all women itself must be named as an oppressive force and political institution.
—Quispe López, Them., 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressive
Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Pitted against the unforgettably evil Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a sadist who drugs and abuses the unlucky patients in her care, McMurphy’s stand against the oppressive powers that be is tragic and poignant and spoke to the spirit of a time in which so many felt misunderstood.
—Christina Newland, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Maybe Shinhye’s unhappiness is solely the product of life under an oppressive government, but maybe some of it is a depression or sense of isolation that would have been hers regardless.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
Rich asserted that the presumption of heterosexuality/attraction to men for all women itself must be named as an oppressive force and political institution.
—Quispe López, Them., 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressive
Adjective
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Oysters inspired the researchers because of their remarkable ability to attach to rocks, bridge pilings, or even each other in the harsh underwater environment.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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But the rules of the Long Walk are harsh and the stakes could not be higher.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Take the quiz here … KICKED TO THE CURB – Super Bowl hero cut from 49ers roster after brutal Week 1 performance.—
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FOXNews.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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While released, Horton committed another horrific crime – a brutal home invasion and rape.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The backcourt duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, also known as the StudBudz, are shifty, tough shot-making guards who can get hot in a hurry.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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And that’s tough on those guys.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
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After all, Miami seemingly has stamina to withstand searing heat after practicing in it all summer, while the opponent typically comes to town ill-prepared for the oppressive temperatures and humidity.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Responding firefighters discovered Maureen in the living room with severe burns, a fractured larynx and soot in her airway, the DA's office said.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Stroud isn’t blameless in the Texans’ severe pass-protection issues dating to last year.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The cruel irony is that the very systems designed to promote inclusion can inadvertently reinforce exclusion.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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And of course, to serve as cruel juxtaposition, deGrom retired the Mets in order in the bottom of the inning on just six pitches.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Consider how closed captioning, originally developed for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, now benefits millions in noisy environments or when audio isn't available.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Just hard to think that’ll happen coming off the Jacksonville blowout.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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After their rough start to SEC play, the Razorbacks finished with an 8-10 conference record, good enough to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
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Despite its rough appearance, the system helped operators better judge distance and handle tasks more precisely.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oppressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressive. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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