Synonyms for oppress
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Molest — to make sad or gloomy
molest, depress, grieve, get down, darken, weigh down, sadden, desolate, grind, aggrieve, rack, dash, dispirit, deject, harass, afflict, sorrow, distress, begloom dated
2. Suppress — to keep down by unjust force
suppress, subdue, overpower, overwhelm, entrap, overbear, conquer
3. Abuse — to sexually violate; to rape
violate, maltreat, pollute, misuse, abuse dated, vitiate dated, outrage dated, ravage slang, ravish dated
4. Squash — physically to press down on (someone) with harmful effects; to smother, crush
Definitions
- v. 1
To keep down by unjust force.
The rural poor were oppressed by the land-owners.
- v. 2
To make sad or gloomy.
We were oppressed by the constant grey skies.
- v. 3
Physically to press down on (someone) with harmful effects; to smother, crush.
- v. 4
To sexually violate; to rape.
Related words
- Word family
- oppressor oppression oppressive
Forms
- Past participle
- oppressed
e.g. oppressed → molested, depressed, grieved, darkened…
Choose the right word
To persecute one is to ill-treat him for opinion's sake, commonly for religious belief; to oppress is generally for political or pecuniary motives.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- grieve She did nothing but grieve over her husband's death.
- depress Rain doesn't depress people who like reading.
- molest Tom attempted to molest the eight-year-old child.
- suppress It was very hard for her to suppress her emotions.
- subdue The police used tear gas to subdue the protestors.
By length
- 4 letters
- task1, load1, dash1, rack1
- 5 letters
- wrong1, press1, abuse2, crush1, grind1
- 6 letters
- burden2, sorrow2, squash1, misuse2, grieve1, harass2, subdue2, darken2, molest2, ravage2, entrap2, ravish, sadden2, cumber2
- 7 letters
- conquer2, violate3, outrage2, depress2, pollute2, afflict2, vitiate3, begloom
- 8 letters
- distress2, suppress2, desolate3, encumber3, overbear, maltreat, aggrieve2, dispirit, downbear
- 9 letters
- overwhelm3, overpower4, persecute3, tyrannize, tyrannise
- 10 letters
- overburden4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (abuse2 = 2 syllables).