Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The act of oppressing; arbitrary and cruel exercise of power: "There can be no really pervasive system of oppression . . . without the consent of the oppressed” ( Florynce R. Kennedy).
- n. The state of being oppressed.
- n. Something that oppresses.
- n. A feeling of being heavily weighed down in mind or body.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A pressing down; pressure; burden.
- n. A feeling of weight; that state in which one experiences a sensation of weight or pressure; hence, lassitude; dullness of spirits; depression.
- n. The act of oppressing or of imposing unreasonable or unjust burdens; the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, harsh, or severe manner; the imposition of severe or cruel measures or exactions; tyrannical or cruel exercise of power.
- n. An oppressed state or condition; the state of those who are overburdened or oppressed, or treated with unjustness or undue severity, by persons in authority or power.
- n. Whatever oppresses or causes hardship; an unjust or unreasonable imposition, exaction, or measure; a hardship.
- n. Ravishment; rape. Chaucer. Synonyms and Oppression, Tyranny, Despotism, cruelty, persecution. Oppression is the general word for abuse of power over another, pressing him down in his rights or interests. Tyranny and despotism are forms of
oppression , namely abuse of governmental or autocratic power. Oppression is applied to the state of those oppressed, as tyranny and despotism are not. Seedespotism .
Wiktionary
- n. The exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
- n. The act of oppressing, or the state of being oppressed.
- n. A feeling of being oppressed.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The act of oppressing, or state of being oppressed.
- n. That which oppresses; a hardship or injustice; cruelty; severity; tyranny.
- n. A sense of heaviness or obstruction in the body or mind; depression; dullness; lassitude.
- n. obsolete Ravishment; rape.
WordNet 3.0
- n. the state of being kept down by unjust use of force or authority:
- n. a feeling of being oppressed
- n. the act of subjugating by cruelty
Etymologies
- From Middle English oppression, from Old French oppression, from Latin oppressio ("a pressing down, violence, oppression"), from opprimere, past participle oppressus ("to press down"); see oppress. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Saying “my oppression is as bad as your oppression” on the basis of subjective feeling is always a dangerous game.”
“Robert Mugabe for what it called oppression of his own people and called for an immediate end to the demolitions of shantytowns.”
“In short it matters not in the least what you baptize oppression, so long as it is oppression, or whether you call your tyrant "Jim" or "My Lord," so long as he is a tyrant.”
“The politician does it to secure votes; but the worst class is composed of those who edit papers that circulate only among the scum of society, and embittered by the sight of luxuries beyond their reach, are always ready to denounce the rich and excite the lower classes against what they call the oppression of the aristocracy.”
“That is what I call oppression!" returned Mr. Bacon, in momentary indignation, for the utterance of which he was as quickly repentant.”
“The leader of the eastern Al-Zuwayya tribe threatened to cut oil exports unless authorities halted what he called the "oppression of protesters.”
“The leader of the Al-Zuwayya tribe in eastern Libya threatened on Sunday to cut oil exports to Western countries within 24 hours unless authorities stop what he called the "oppression of protesters".”
“This objection, however, or some other, rather political than moral, obtained such prevalence, that when Gay produced a second part, under the name of Polly, it was prohibited by the lord chamberlain; and he was forced to recompense his repulse by a subscription, which is said to have been so liberally bestowed, that what he called oppression ended in profit.”
“Polly, it was prohibited by the Lord Chamberlain; and he was forced to recompense his repulse by a subscription, which is said to have been so liberally bestowed that what he called oppression ended in profit.”
“HIJAB" (covering/Veil) or a secure place for your precious things, which you call oppression!!”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘oppression’.
-
Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
-
EN - eesily missspellable wirds
accessible, accommodate, achievement, acquaintance, address, advertisement, alleged, athletics, attendance, auxiliary, believe, challenge and 118 more...
-
Official Misconduct
Words describing types of misconduct by those in public office.
malversation, embezzlement, peculation, racketeering, jobbery, misappropriation, defalcation, venality, favouritism, favoritism, nepotism, gerrymandering and 44 more...
-
rastafari
dem woodz assoseeated wit da reegae mon..
( Reggae, Rastafari, Rasta, Jamaica, Zion, Haile Selassie, Africa, Caribbean )
( slang, randomness )Rastafari, puff, Jah, reggae, Haile Selassie, Jamaica, Kingston, Caribbean, Dominican, Zion, Africa, cannabis and 81 more...
-
maf
sectarian, sectarian =narrow..., oppression, oppress, sort out, worldwide, legit, constrain, constrained, I feel constrained, constraint, divisive and 56 more...
-
Words I'd Like to Use Someday
thundersnow, phantasmagoria, mercurial, chimerical, taciturn, paraclete, lapis lazuli, flay, guttersnipe, wonky, misanthrope, kestrel and 583 more...
-
my dictionary
able, abnormally, abroad, absent, abstract, acceptable, acceptance, access, accessible, accession, according to, account and 4551 more...
-
barfi
turpentine, cognate, connotation, denotation, bias, unflinching, emptive, mob, amnesty, modestly, spear, incline and 150 more...
-
Immigration
Words that we will encounter during our study of immigration!
immigration, emigrate, immigrant, emigrant, migrate, tennement, steerage, decade, detainee, ward, indentured, literacy and 41 more...
-
American Government
American Government Vocabulary
natural rights, social contract, government, monarchy, sovereignty, law, direct democracy, indirect democracy, tyrany, majority, aristocracy, anarchy and 1 more...
-
Glennie 1
diatribes, pseudonyms, influxes, salvation, disparagement, anachronisms, asylum, calumny, oppression, solitude, impotence, antagonist and 14 more...
-
Words and life
Developing word understanding
logic, reason, rationale, faith, persuasion, attribute, system, power, principality, perception, behavior, interaction and 62 more...
-
Damn Good Words
All words that could come in handy in stories.
eschatological, mouthfeel, semper in absente..., declivity, hyperbole, efflorescence, sabaism, floccinaucinihili..., pneumonoultramicr..., propinquity, lacrimosity, callipygian and 31 more...
-
Emotions!
joy, surprise, shock, fear, terror, disgust, anxiety, elation, expectancy, contempt, hatred, love and 5 more...
-
Harry Potter
Tweets
Looking for tweets for oppression.
Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.