oppressed
adj. · v.-
1 treated unfairly (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediatetreated in a cruel and unfair way, especially by a government or a person with power.
subjected to harsh and authoritarian treatment; burdened by the exercise of unjust power or authority.
ExampleThe oppressed citizens finally began to protest against the unfair laws.
ExampleThe novel explores the psychological toll on an oppressed population living under a regime that forbids free speech and assembly.
UsageOften used as a collective noun 'the oppressed' to refer to a group of people.
- persecuted
- subjugated
- downtrodden
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2 past action of treating cruelly (v.) B2 Upper Intermediatethe past tense of 'oppress', meaning to have treated a group of people cruelly.
past tense and past participle of the transitive verb 'oppress', indicating the historical or completed act of subjugation.
ExampleThe king oppressed his people for many years before the revolution.
ExampleThroughout the nineteenth century, the colonial administration oppressed the local tribes by seizing their ancestral lands and restricting their movement.
UsageAs a verb, it requires a direct object representing the person or group being mistreated.