persecuted 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of persecutednext
as in oppressed
suffering grave abuse or injustice at the hands of one in authority a nation that is still regarded as a refuge for persecuted people from around the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

persecuted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of persecute
1
as in afflicted
to cause persistent suffering to people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts she likes to persecute her sister with pointless, annoying questions at very inopportune times

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecuted
  1. oppressed
  2. afflicted
  3. annoyed
  4. bothered
  5. besieged
  6. attacked
Adjective
  • Thoughts of American battlefield heroes might conjure up images of overseas valor in service of oppressed and conquered people around the world.
    Kerry J. Byrne Fox News, Fox News, 22 Sep. 2024
  • That is to say: There must be an obvious corollary to an actual oppressed population.
    Caitlin PenzeyMoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
Definition of oppressed
Verb
  • Doctors have raised alarms as young workers have been afflicted with silicosis, a deadly illness caused by inhaling particles of crystalline silica.
    Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
  • These turtles need some warmth The frigid Northeast temperatures of the last several days have accelerated the arrival of sea turtles afflicted with life-threatening hypothermia at Cape Cod beaches, requiring more than 250 of them to be rescued so far.
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 3 Dec. 2024
Definition of afflicted
Verb
  • Or annoyed at the waste of time and money?
    Marianne Krasny, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
  • Not all residents are annoyed by their plucky neighbors’ antics, though.
    Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • Instead, they were treated as mental health patients, and no one bothered to inquire about their reasons.
    Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Derik Queen isn’t bothered by freshman jitters Hardly anyone would have faulted the precocious youngster from Baltimore for feeling a little heat in his first true road game of the season in a hostile environment like the one created by the crowd at Mackey Arena.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • Since then, Putin has sought instead to rally the public to the defense of a motherland besieged by the perfidious and cunning West.
    Leon Aron, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Indeed, at a time when tropical forests and grasslands are besieged by farming, mining, and other threats, birdwatching tourism offers a real incentive to keep ecosystems intact.
    Benji Jones, Vox, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of besieged
Verb
  • Popular on Variety However, much like Qatar — which hosted the World Cup in 2022 — FIFA’s decision has already been attacked by human rights groups.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The accuser says she was attacked by the two rappers at an after-show party following the Video Music Awards.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of attacked
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near persecuted

persecute

persecuted

persecutes

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on persecuted

Nglish: Translation of persecuted for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of persecuted for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...