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
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecuted
Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.
—James Stout, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026
The Iranian regime has persecuted members of her own family.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
The Anabaptists were a radical nonconformist sect that took the egalitarian, pacifist, and renunciatory injunctions of the Bible seriously and tried to organize communal living, before being ruthlessly persecuted by the authorities and other Protestant sects.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump has led that charge, saying Peters was persecuted for her conservative beliefs and pressing Polis — on numerous occasions over the course of months — to release her.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 22 Mar. 2026
An immigration judge has previously found that she would be persecuted by the Israeli government if she was removed there.
—Kristie Keleshian, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Some had been granted the opportunity to stay after proving to immigration judges that they would probably be persecuted if returned to their homeland.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Such dynamics reflect that there is little room in this framework for the complexity of Jewish history, people who have been both persecuted and resilient.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Eduiot site includes photographs and audiovisual material, and features the accounts of parents, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces of Jews persecuted and disappeared under the dictatorship.
—Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.
—James Stout, Outside, 29 Mar. 2026
The Iranian regime has persecuted members of her own family.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
The Anabaptists were a radical nonconformist sect that took the egalitarian, pacifist, and renunciatory injunctions of the Bible seriously and tried to organize communal living, before being ruthlessly persecuted by the authorities and other Protestant sects.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump has led that charge, saying Peters was persecuted for her conservative beliefs and pressing Polis — on numerous occasions over the course of months — to release her.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 22 Mar. 2026
An immigration judge has previously found that she would be persecuted by the Israeli government if she was removed there.
—Kristie Keleshian, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Some had been granted the opportunity to stay after proving to immigration judges that they would probably be persecuted if returned to their homeland.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Such dynamics reflect that there is little room in this framework for the complexity of Jewish history, people who have been both persecuted and resilient.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecuted
Adjective
-
According to Ehrman, Jesus’s teachings universalized earlier Jewish ethics by extending the duty to care for the poor, oppressed, and needy beyond one’s own community to include all people.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Again and again, American planners have assumed that if the right spark is provided, oppressed people will seize the moment and revolt.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, they are widely considered to be highly capable, especially for coalition warfare, despite some technical issues that have afflicted them in their first years of service.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Our mission is to feed the hungry, comfort the afflicted and offer hope to those in need, including the LGBTQ community.—
Donna Lamb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One who grew up respectful but annoyed by the success the league previously had in Seattle.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Social media reactions to the bunny range from enamored to amused to annoyed at the price tag, which runs from $112 to $140.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But as these researchers are the first to admit, the difficulty of defining intelligence is as old as the study of thinking itself—and has plagued artificial intelligence as a field from its very earliest days.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The broader transportation program was also plagued with allegations of fraud in 2023 -- shortly after HCPF, relying on an apparently faulty analysis, recommended a significant increase in reimbursement rates in that service.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Despite being bothered by his elbow throughout the 2025 campaign, Rodón enjoyed his best season with the Yankees last year.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Other birds won’t be bothered, but the crows will stay away for a long time.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bundy tortured, raped and killed dozens of young women in more than half a dozen states in the 1970s.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Estimates suggest that as many as 1,900 Jews were abducted, tortured and murdered by the military junta during the six-year Dirty War, when many sources say 30,000 people were disappeared.—
Juan Melamed,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even minimal exposure to artificial lights irritated his burns, and recovery took months.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Many people have come out of the woodwork and jumped on the bandwagon, which irritated me.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
-
When news circulated about the gathering, Temple Emanu-El was besieged with inquiries from the local media.—
Joshua M. Davidson,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persecuted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecuted. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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