OPPRESS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for OPPRESS?

Need another word that means the same as “oppress”? Find 47 synonyms and 30 related words for “oppress” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Oppress” are: crush, suppress, persecute, abuse, maltreat, ill-treat, treat harshly, be brutal to, be cruel to, tyrannize, repress, subjugate, hegemonize, subdue, subject, enslave, persecuted, abused, maltreated, tyrannized, subjugated, repressed, crushed, enslaved, exploited, victimized, misused, depress, make despondent, make gloomy, weigh down, lie heavy on, weigh heavily on, cast down, dampen someone's spirits, hang over, prey on, burden, dispirit, dishearten, discourage, sadden, make desolate, get down, bring down, trouble, afflict

Oppress as a Verb

Definitions of "Oppress" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “oppress” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority.
• Cause distress or anxiety to.
• Cause to suffer.
• Keep (someone) in subjection and hardship, especially by the unjust exercise of authority.

Synonyms of "Oppress" as a verb (47 Words)

abuse	Make excessive and habitual use of (alcohol or drugs, especially illegal ones. At various times in her life she abused both alcohol and drugs.
abused	Use foul or abusive language towards.
afflict	Cause physical pain or suffering in. She was afflicted by the death of her parents.
be brutal to	Be priced at.
be cruel to	Have an existence, be extant.
bring down	Advance or set forth in court.
burden	Load heavily. They were not yet burdened with adult responsibility.
cast down	Throw forcefully.
crush	Crush or bruise. I was crushed was I not good enough.
crushed	Crush or bruise.
dampen someone's spirits	Lessen in force or effect.
depress	Lessen the activity or force of. The rising inflation depressed the economy.
discourage	Deprive of courage or hope take away hope from cause to feel discouraged. We want to discourage children from smoking.
dishearten	Cause (someone) to lose determination or confidence. The farmer was disheartened by the damage to his crops.
dispirit	Cause (someone) to lose enthusiasm or hope. The army was dispirited by the uncomfortable winter conditions.
enslave	Make a slave of; bring into servitude. They were enslaved by their need to take drugs.
enslaved	Make a slave of; bring into servitude.
exploited	Draw from; make good use of.
get down	Come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes.
hang over	Hold on tightly or tenaciously.
hegemonize	Subject (a population, region, process, etc.) to a dominant political or social power. Colonialism sought to hegemonize through a process of acculturation.
ill-treat	Treat badly.
lie heavy on	Be and remain in a particular state or condition.
make desolate	Gather and light the materials for.
make despondent	Amount to.
make gloomy	Proceed along a path.
maltreat	Treat badly. Children die from neglect or are maltreated by their carers.
maltreated	Treat badly.
misused	Apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly.
persecute	Cause to suffer. Hilda was persecuted by some of the other girls.
persecuted	Cause to suffer.
prey on	Prey on or hunt for.
repress	Suppress (a thought or desire) so that it becomes or remains unconscious. The process of repressing gene transcription.
repressed	Conceal or hide.
sadden	Come to feel sad. I was saddened to see their lack of commitment.
subdue	Bring under control by force or authority. Subdue one s appetites.
subject	Make accountable for. People in Chernobyl were subjected to radiation.
subjugate	Bring under domination or control, especially by conquest. The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land.
subjugated	Make subservient; force to submit or subdue.
suppress	Control and refrain from showing; of emotions, desires, impulses, or behavior. Use of the drug suppressed the immune response.
treat harshly	Interact in a certain way.
trouble	Take the trouble to do something concern oneself. Sorry to trouble you.
tyrannize	Rule or exercise power over (somebody) in a cruel and autocratic manner. She tyrannized her family.
tyrannized	Rule a country as a tyrant.
victimized	Punish unjustly.
weigh down	Have a certain weight.
weigh heavily on	Show consideration for; take into account.

Usage Examples of "Oppress" as a verb

• A system which oppressed working people.
• The government oppresses political activists.
• He was oppressed by some secret worry.

Associations of "Oppress" (30 Words)

afflict	(of a celestial body) be in a stressful aspect with (another celestial body or a point on the ecliptic. Jupiter is afflicted by Mars in opposition.
burden	Weight down with a load. The schooner Wyoming of about 6 000 tons burden.
choke	A knob which controls the choke in a carburettor. Vegetation choked the trails.
conquer	Climb (a mountain) successfully. Conquer a country.
cruelly	(with reference to an event) in a way that causes pain or suffering. Their hopes were cruelly dashed.
curb	Keep to the curb. She promised she would curb her temper.
defeat	An instance of defeating or being defeated. Defeat your enemies.
encumber	Hold back. She was encumbered by her heavy skirts.
harass	Subject to aggressive pressure or intimidation. Being harassed at work can leave you feeling confused and helpless.
irritate	Make (someone) annoyed or a little angry. Irritate the glands of a leaf.
mistreat	Treat (a person or animal) badly, cruelly, or unfairly. He denied mistreating his workers.
muffle	Deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping. A muffle furnace.
overawe	Subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe; frighten (as with threats. The eleven year old was overawed by the atmosphere.
persecute	Subject (someone) to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation or their political beliefs. Some religious groups are persecuted in some countries.
predominance	The state of being predominant over others. Hollywood s continued predominance in the international film market.
repress	Impede or hinder the natural development or self-expression of. Isabel couldn t repress a sharp cry of fear.
restrain	Deprive (someone) of freedom of movement or personal liberty. All front seats must be equipped with seat belts which restrain the upper part of the body.
restrict	Place under restrictions limit access to by law. Some roads may have to be closed at peak times to restrict the number of visitors.
rile	Make turbid by stirring up the sediments of. He d been drinking sweet clear water from a well and now that water had been muddied and riled.
ruthlessly	Without pity or compassion for others. They fell prey to money lenders who ruthlessly exploited them.
smother	Make (someone) feel trapped and oppressed by acting in an overly protective manner towards them. Smother fires.
stifle	Be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen. She stifled a giggle.
subdue	Bring under control by force or authority. She managed to subdue an instinct to applaud.
subjugate	Put down by force or intimidation. The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land.
suffocate	Deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing. The child suffocated herself with a plastic bag that the parents had left on the floor.
suppress	Bring under control by force or authority. Suppress a nascent uprising.
suppression	The conscious inhibition of unacceptable memories, impulses, or desires. The heavy handed suppression of political dissent.
tyrannize	Rule a country as a tyrant. She tyrannized her family.
vex	Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations. A vexing problem.