oppress - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle English oppressen, from Old French oppresser, from Medieval Latin oppressare (“to press against, oppress”), frequentative of Latin opprimere, past participle oppressus (“to press against, press together, oppress”), from ob (“against”) + premere, past participle pressus (“to press”); see press.

oppress (third-person singular simple present oppresses, present participle oppressing, simple past and past participle oppressed)

  1. (transitive) To keep down by unjust force.
    Synonym: suppress
    The rural poor were oppressed by the land-owners.
  2. (transitive) To make sad or gloomy.
    Synonyms: begloom, get down; see also Thesaurus:sadden
    We were oppressed by the constant grey skies.
  3. (transitive, obsolete) Physically to press down on (someone) with harmful effects; to smother, crush.
    Synonyms: depress, downbear, squash
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To sexually violate; to rape.
    Synonyms: outrage, violate, vitiate; see also Thesaurus:rape

oppress (countable and uncountable, plural oppresses)

  1. (obsolete) Oppression.

keep down by unjust force

to make sad or gloomy