oppress
/əˈprɛs/
verb
- To keep someone down by treating them cruelly or unfairly, especially by using power or authority.
- Laws were changed to stop employers from oppressing workers with unsafe conditions.
- The dictator used the military to oppress anyone who spoke out against him.
- For centuries, the ruling class oppressed the poor with heavy taxes and harsh laws.
- To make someone feel worried, sad, or uncomfortable; to weigh down emotionally.
- He felt oppressed by the heavy silence in the empty house.
- A sense of gloom oppressed the whole town after the factory closed.
- The constant pressure to succeed began to oppress her, making it hard to sleep.