oppressive

[ uh-pres-iv ]
See synonyms for: oppressiveoppressivelyoppressiveness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical: an oppressive king;oppressive laws.

  2. causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc.: oppressive heat.

  1. distressing or grievous: oppressive sorrows.

Origin of oppressive

1
First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin oppresīvus, equivalent to Latin oppress(us) “pressed down” (see oppress) + -īvus -ive

Other words from oppressive

  • op·pres·sive·ly, adverb
  • op·pres·sive·ness, noun
  • non·op·pres·sive, adjective
  • non·op·pres·sive·ly, adverb
  • non·op·pres·sive·ness, noun
  • self-op·pres·sive, adjective
  • un·op·pres·sive, adjective
  • un·op·pres·sive·ly, adverb
  • un·op·pres·sive·ness, noun

Words Nearby oppressive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oppressive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oppressive

oppressive

/ (əˈprɛsɪv) /


adjective
  1. cruel, harsh, or tyrannical

  2. heavy, constricting, or depressing

Derived forms of oppressive

  • oppressively, adverb
  • oppressiveness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012