oppress
gb/əpɹˈɛs/ us/əpɹˈɛs/
C1
English
~ 8100
Senses
0 senses
Verb
formal
C1
action
1
treat people cruelly and unjustly
To use power to treat people in a very unfair and hard way, so they are not free and do not have equal rights.
Usage pattern:
to oppress [someone / a group of people]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "oppress" when they only mean someone is sad or stressed. "Oppress" in this sense usually involves power, control, and unfair treatment of a person or group by an authority or system. For simple sadness, "upset" or "sad" is more natural. It is also often confused with "suppress": governments may suppress protests (stop them) and oppress people (treat them cruelly and deny rights).
Synonyms
persecute (Focuses on repeated cruel treatment, often for religious, political, or ethnic reasons.)
|
subjugate (Stresses bringing people under complete control or domination, often after conflict or conquest.)
|
tyrannize (Emphasizes harsh, cruel use of power by a ruler or authority over others.)
Antonyms
liberate (Focuses on freeing people from control or oppression.)
|
empower (Stresses giving people power, rights, or confidence instead of limiting them.)
|
protect (Emphasizes keeping people safe from harm or unfair treatment rather than causing it.)
Collocations
oppress minorities
|oppress women
|oppress the poor
|systematically oppress
|politically oppress
|a regime oppresses
Themes
politics
|society
|law
|human rights
|relationships
Examples
- The dictatorship used the army to oppress political opponents.
- For generations, the government has oppressed this minority group through discriminatory laws.
- Workers claimed that the new regulations would further oppress low‑income families.
- Colonial powers often oppressed local populations to maintain control over resources.
- They organized a march to protest laws that oppress women and girls.
Learner examples
- The king used his power to oppress the people.
- The law was used to oppress anyone who spoke against the leader.
- In the past, many countries oppressed women and did not let them vote.
- The group fights for the rights of people who are oppressed by their government.
Verb
formal
C2
action
2
make someone feel heavy or distressed
To make a person feel very heavy in their mind or heart, worried, or without hope.
Usage pattern:
to oppress [someone's mind / spirit]; to feel oppressed by [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix this sense with "depress" and say *"The room oppresses me"* when they more naturally mean "The room depresses me" or "The room makes me feel bad." "Oppress" suggests a stronger, heavier feeling, often with a sense of pressure or being pushed down, and is less common in everyday conversation.
Synonyms
weigh down (Very close in meaning; common in everyday speech, often used with emotions or responsibilities.)
|
burden (Focuses on giving someone a heavy responsibility, duty, or emotional load.)
|
overwhelm (Stresses being covered or flooded by strong feelings or problems.)
Antonyms
relieve (Means to make pain, worry, or pressure less strong.)
|
uplift (Emphasizes making someone feel happier or more hopeful instead of heavy and sad.)
|
comfort (Focuses on making someone feel calmer and less troubled.)
Collocations
feel oppressed by
|oppress the mind
|oppress the spirit
|oppress the heart
|oppress with guilt
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|literary
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He felt oppressed by a constant sense of failure.
- The dark, low ceiling seemed to oppress everyone in the room.
- Memories of the accident still oppress her, even years later.
- The silence between them grew heavy and began to oppress him.
- A deep fear of the future oppressed their thoughts day and night.
Learner examples
- She feels oppressed by her many problems.
- The small, dark room started to oppress him.
- His guilt oppresses him every time he thinks about the past.
- The bad news oppressed their hearts and they became quiet.
Grammar
Dictionary form
oppress
IPA
GB/əpɹˈɛs/
US/əpɹˈɛs/
Syllables & stress
op - press (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (press)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: oppress
- 3rd Person Singular: oppresses
- Present Participle: oppressing
- Past: oppressed
Word family
Forms
oppresses
verb
oppressing
verb
oppressed
verb
Core family
Related words
oppressively
adverb
Advanced or less common
oppressiveness
noun
Expressions
feel oppressed
1/fˈil əpɹˈɛst/
fixed phrase
experience a heavy, pressured feeling
To have a strong feeling that something is holding you down or not letting you be free or relaxed.
Examples
- She said she felt oppressed by her family's expectations.
- Many employees feel oppressed by the constant pressure to work overtime.
the oppressed
1/ðə əpɹˈɛst/
fixed phrase
formal
people who are oppressed
People who are kept down and treated very unfairly by those with power.
Examples
- The new movement claims to speak for the oppressed.
- History books often ignore the voices of the oppressed.