oppressive

American  

[uh-pres-iv] / əˈprɛs ɪv /

adjective

1. burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical.

   an oppressive king;

   oppressive laws.

2. causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc..

   oppressive heat.

3. distressing or grievous.

   oppressive sorrows.

---

oppressive British  

/ əˈprɛsɪv /

adjective

1. cruel, harsh, or tyrannical

2. heavy, constricting, or depressing

---

Other Word Forms

• nonoppressive adjective
• nonoppressively adverb
• nonoppressiveness noun
• oppressively adverb
• oppressiveness noun
• self-oppressive adjective
• unoppressive adjective
• unoppressively adverb
• unoppressiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of oppressive

First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin oppresīvus, equivalent to Latin oppress(us) “pressed down” ( oppress ) + -īvus -ive

Example Sentences

Reformers soon wielded the Bible to confront oppressive political and religious regimes.

From The Wall Street Journal

It says the changes are intended to protect people facing "extreme and oppressive" discrimination and to prevent exploitation and trafficking.

From BBC

There was Kent Brantly, 27, a family physician who, owing to the grueling hours and oppressive African heat, had lost 30 pounds even before he succumbed to hemorrhagic fevers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Eleanor fanned herself with her notepad to ward off the oppressive heat.

From Literature

“One of the interesting things about L.A. was, when I moved there, I couldn’t really blame the city anymore because I wasn’t in an oppressive place,” he remembers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brutal
• burdensome
• cruel
• depressing
• dictatorial
• harsh
• heavy-handed
• inhuman
• onerous
• overbearing
• tyrannical
• unjust