ENGLISH
REFERENCE

victimized

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈvɪktəmaɪzd// vic·tim·ized

adj. feeling like you are being treated unfairly or being picked on by someone else. You use this when someone in power makes life difficult for you on purpose.

adj. subjected to cruel, unfair, or discriminatory treatment. Often used predicatively to describe the psychological state of a person targeted by systemic or individual harassment.


SIMPLE

He felt victimized by his boss's constant criticism.

CONTEXTUAL

The employees felt victimized after the new management implemented strict rules that only applied to their specific department.

COMPLEX

Sociologists argue that individuals from marginalized backgrounds are more likely to feel victimized by institutional policies that appear neutral on the surface but have disparate impacts in practice.

Synonyms
Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'feel', 'seem', or 'become'.

Pitfall

She was victimized from her peers.She was victimized by her peers.The passive-style construction requires the preposition 'by' to identify the agent of the action.

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