oppressor

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op·press

(ə-prĕs′)

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 cause to feel worried or depressed: "People were at a loss ... oppressed by the atmosphere of the dead man's room" (Ward Just).

3. Obsolete To overwhelm or crush.

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

op·pres′sor n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Noun

oppressor - a person of authority who subjects others to undue pressures

disagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable

authoritarian, dictator - a person who behaves in a tyrannical manner; "my boss is a dictator who makes everyone work overtime"

meanie, unkind person, meany - a person of mean disposition

switcher, whipper - a person who administers punishment by wielding a switch or whip

persecutor, tormenter, tormentor - someone who torments

torturer - someone who inflicts severe physical pain (usually for punishment or coercion)

oppressor

noun persecutor, tyrant, bully, scourge, tormentor, despot, autocrat, taskmaster, iron hand, slave-driver, harrier, intimidator, subjugator The rebels called upon the people to rise up against their oppressors.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

oppressor

noun

An absolute ruler, especially one who is harsh and oppressive:

Big Brother, despot, dictator, führer, man on horseback, strongman, totalitarian, tyrant.

Translations

ظالِم، مُضْطَهِد، مُسْتَبِد

tyranundertrykker

kúgari

utláčateľ

oppressor

[əˈpresəʳ] N → opresor(a) m/f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

oppressor

[əˈprɛsə^r] n → oppresseur m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

oppressor

n → Unterdrücker(in) m(f)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

oppressor

[əˈprɛsəʳ] n → oppressore m

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

oppress

(əˈpres) verb

1. to govern cruelly. The king oppressed his people.

2. to worry or depress. The thought of leaving her oppressed me.

opˈpression (-ʃən) noun

After five years of oppression, the peasants revolted.

opˈpressive (-siv) adjective

oppressing; cruel; hard to bear. oppressive laws.

opˈpressively adverb

opˈpressiveness noun

opˈpressor noun

a ruler who oppresses his people; a tyrant.

References in classic literature ?

That stately form, combining the leader and the saint, so gray, so dimly seen, in such an ancient garb, could only belong to some old champion of the righteous cause, whom the oppressor's drum had summoned from his grave.

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The poor people began by fearing them, but when they found that the men in Lincoln green who answered Robin Hood's horn meant them no harm, but despoiled the oppressor to relieve the oppressed, they 'gan to have great liking for them.

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Earnshaw's death, which happened in less than two years after, the young master had learned to regard his father as an oppressor rather than a friend, and Heathcliff as a usurper of his parent's affections and his privileges; and he grew bitter with brooding over these injuries.

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since it has fallen to thy lot to hold subject and submissive to thy full will and pleasure a knight so renowned as is and will be Don Quixote of La Mancha, who, as all the world knows, yesterday received the order of knighthood, and hath to-day righted the greatest wrong and grievance that ever injustice conceived and cruelty perpetrated: who hath to-day plucked the rod from the hand of yonder ruthless oppressor so wantonly lashing that tender child."

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I give it you if you really wished to avenge the weak and oppressed against the oppressor."

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"But," said the Spectator, "you said in your famous speech before the Society for the Prevention of the Protrusion of Nail Heads from Plank Sidewalks that Kings were blood-smeared oppressors and hell- bound loafers."

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The barons, or nobles, equally the enemies of the sovereign and the oppressors of the common people, were dreaded and detested by both; till mutual danger and mutual interest effected a union between them fatal to the power of the aristocracy.

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The massacre of men who were fellow Christians, and of the same Slavonic race, excited sympathy for the sufferers and indignation against the oppressors. And the heroism of the Servians and Montenegrins struggling for a great cause begot in the whole people a longing to help their brothers not in word but in deed.

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We march to conquer the Emerald City -- to dethrone the Scarecrow King -- to acquire thousands of gorgeous gems -- to rifle the royal treasury -- and to obtain power over our former oppressors!"

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And they could do nothing, they were tied hand and foot--the law was against them, the whole machinery of society was at their oppressors' command!

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To wit, that this dreadful matter brought from these downtrodden people no outburst of rage against these oppressors. They had been heritors and subjects of cruelty and outrage so long that nothing could have startled them but a kindness.

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"I see Barsad, and Cly, Defarge, The Vengeance, the Juryman, the Judge, long ranks of the new oppressors who have risen on the destruction of the old, perishing by this retributive instrument, before it shall cease out of its present use.

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