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oppress
(redirected from oppresses)

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op·press  (-prs)
tr.v. op·pressed, op·press·ing, op·press·es
1. To keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority: a people who were oppressed by tyranny.
2. To weigh heavily on: Poverty oppresses the spirit.
3. Obsolete To overwhelm or crush.

[Middle English oppressen, from Old French opresser, back-formation from oppression, oppression, from Latin oppressi, oppressin-, from oppressus, past participle of opprimere, to press against : ob-, against; see ob- + premere, to press; see per-4 in Indo-European roots.]

op·pressor n.

oppress
Verb
1. to put down or control by cruelty or force
2. to make anxious or uncomfortable [Latin ob- against + premere to press]
oppression n
oppressor n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.oppress - come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority; "The government oppresses political activists"
quash, repress, subdue, subjugate, keep down, reduce - put down by force or intimidation; "The government quashes any attempt of an uprising"; "China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently"; "The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land"
2.oppress - cause to suffer; "Jews were persecuted in the former Soviet Union"
bedevil, dun, rag, torment, frustrate, crucify - treat cruelly; "The children tormented the stuttering teacher"
purge - oust politically; "Deng Xiao Ping was purged several times throughout his lifetime"

oppress
verb 1. subjugate, abuse, suppress, wrong, master, overcome, crush, overwhelm, put down, subdue, overpower, persecute, rule over, enslave, maltreat, hold sway over, trample underfoot, bring someone to heel, tyrannize over, rule with an iron hand, bring someone under the yoke << OPPOSITE liberate
verb 2. depress, burden, discourage, torment, daunt, harass, afflict, sadden, vex, weigh down, dishearten, cast someone down, dispirit, take the heart out of, deject, lie or weigh heavy upon, make someone despondent
Translations
Spanish oppress [əˈprɛs] vtoprimir
French oppress [əˈprɛs] vtopprimer
German oppress [əˈprɛs] vtunterdrücken
Italian oppress [əˈprɛs] vtopprimere

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