oppressed

/əˈprest/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈprest/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈprest/ (ame, mw)

oppressed — adjective

  • oppressedpositive
  • more oppressedcomparative
  • most oppressedsuperlative

1. kept under another person or system's power, with fewer rights and choices than

1.形容詞C1
釋義

kept under another person or system's power, with fewer rights and choices than other people

例句

For decades, oppressed farmers paid taxes to guards with loaded rifles.

before noun: oppressed farmers

The novel follows an oppressed community denied schools, land, and safe water.

oppressed + community

同義詞
  • subjugated

    stresses being forced under another power

  • exploited

    focuses more on unfair use for profit than on total control

  • persecuted

    stresses repeated cruel treatment, often because of identity or belief

  • downtrodden

    describes people kept in a low and powerless condition

反義詞

文法句型

an oppressed people

oppressed workers / families / minority

be oppressed by a regime / law / employer

用法筆記

Common with groups who live under unfair political, social, or economic control. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes a heavy inner feeling rather than people being denied rights by others.

常見錯誤

❌The workers were oppressed because the factory was old.
✅The workers were oppressed because the owners denied them basic rights.
💡oppressed needs unfair power over people, not simply a hard or unpleasant situation.

2. feeling mentally heavy, anxious, or unable to relax because of pressure around y

2.形容詞C2
釋義

feeling mentally heavy, anxious, or unable to relax because of pressure around you

例句

In the crowded clinic, Nora felt oppressed by the hot, stale air.

feel oppressed by + air/heat

After the police warning, Saira walked home oppressed by sudden fear.

oppressed by + feeling

同義詞
  • burdened

    is broader and can describe duty as well as emotion

  • troubled

    is slightly less heavy and more general

  • weighed down

    is a common phrase for emotional heaviness

  • stifled

    adds a stronger sense of being shut in or unable to breathe freely

反義詞
  • relieved

    free from the pressure or worry

  • at ease

    calm and comfortable rather than burdened

文法句型

feel oppressed by fear / heat / bad news

grow oppressed in a room or situation

用法筆記

Usually appears after feel, seem, or another linking verb, often with by plus fear, heat, silence, or painful news. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about unjust power over people rather than emotional or atmospheric pressure.

常見錯誤

❌I felt oppressed by three emails this morning.
✅I felt stressed by three emails this morning.
💡oppressed is too strong for ordinary pressure; it suggests a heavy feeling that is hard to escape.