oppressed

[ uh-prest ]

adjective

1. burdened with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subjected to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power:

   He's spent over three years documenting the lives of poor, exploited, and oppressed peoples in Latin America.

2. weighed down by thoughts or feelings that lie heavily on the mind or spirit:

   The fix for a hurt heart, broken spirit, or oppressed mind is not always easy, but there is a path to recovery.

noun

, (used with a plural verb)

1. Usually the oppressed. oppressed people collectively:

   We cannot proclaim individual liberty and at the same time show no solidarity with the oppressed.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of oppress ( def ).

Other Words From

• un·op·pressed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oppressed¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; oppress ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

"This victory is a shining light for everyone who has been oppressed and a strong warning to any company or contractor practising different forms of torture and abuse."

From BBC

As Paul Waldman recently wrote in his newsletter, Trump tells men "you are oppressed."

From Salon

In an unfair system in which oppression is necessary to win esteem, white people are forced to seek out contorted ways to identify with oppressed groups, creating a twisted and tiring game of identity fraud.

From Slate

It’s a petty mindset that does not acknowledge the disadvantages of actually being oppressed.

From Slate

“When Jesus came, he came with better understanding. You don't kill people that are possessed or oppressed of demons, you simply cast the demons out,” he says.

From BBC

Related Words

• abused
• destitute
• distressed
• enslaved
• exploited
• helpless
• persecuted