oppressive — treating people in a harsh and authoritarian way; weighing heavily on the mind or spirits
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: treating people in a harsh and authoritarian way; weighing heavily on the mind or spirits
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈpresɪv/
Example Sentences
- My boss creates such an oppressive work environment that even the office plants look depressed.
- The oppressive humidity made everyone move as slowly as sloths in a yoga class.
- Citizens fought against the oppressive government to regain their freedom.
oppressive
ADJECTIVE[/əˈpresɪv/]
treating people in a harsh and authoritarian way; weighing heavily on the mind or spirits
Harsh supervisor oppressing fearful workers
Progressive dreams meet oppressive schemes turning aggressive.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin opprimere, meaning 'to press down' or 'to crush.' The word combines op- (toward) and primere (to press), evoking the image of pressing down forcefully to suppress freedom or expression.
Breakdown
op- (toward, against) + -primere (to press) + -ive (adjective suffix forming 'having the quality of'), literally 'tending to press down or burden.'
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My boss creates such an oppressive work environment that even the office plants look depressed.”
“The oppressive humidity made everyone move as slowly as sloths in a yoga class.”
“Citizens fought against the oppressive government to regain their freedom.”
“The oppressive taxation policy burdened small businesses severely.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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