iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.
iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.



Link to original content: http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressive
OPPRESSIVE Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective oppressive contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of oppressive are burdensome, exacting, and onerous. While all these words mean "imposing hardship," oppressive implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed.

the oppressive tyranny of a police state

When can burdensome be used instead of oppressive?

In some situations, the words burdensome and oppressive are roughly equivalent. However, burdensome suggests causing mental as well as physical strain.

burdensome responsibilities

When would exacting be a good substitute for oppressive?

While the synonyms exacting and oppressive are close in meaning, exacting implies rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding.

an exacting employer

Where would onerous be a reasonable alternative to oppressive?

The words onerous and oppressive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, onerous stresses being laborious and heavy especially because distasteful.

the onerous task of cleaning up the mess

Examples of oppressive in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web Several accounts mention a shadowy male figure and an oppressive presence in the basement, leading some to believe that Sallie may not be the only spirit trapped within its walls. Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Set in 1307, the film tells the story of famous Swiss hero William Tell, who — in this version — reluctantly leads a revolution against the oppressive Austrian king who occupies a stretch of land along the modern-day border between the countries. Jamie Lang, Variety, 7 Sep. 2024 Audiences also freaked out about the film's oppressive tight spaces and extremely effective horror sequences, giving The Descent its reputation as one of the scariest films of the 21st century. Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 The oppressive noon heat stifled my brain while sweat streamed from my temples. Alexis Landau, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for oppressive 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressive
Adjective
  • There are also more-than-adequate storage spaces in the large center console annd all four doors. CHANGE: The ride quality The ride quality is a little harsher in the Sorento than in some of its competitors, especially with the 20-inch wheels and lower profile tires the tester came equipped with.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Trump’s comments on Taiwan have been unusually harsh for China policy in Washington, where there is a general bipartisan consensus to be tough on Beijing and Xi, who has pledged to reunify with Taipei, by force if necessary.
    Brad Dress, The Hill, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) uncovered Jamie's scheme and began plotting her own brutal counterstrike.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Wealth and income gaps have grown dramatically and housing costs are brutal.
    Gary Langer, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Coal employment, once the backbone of the eastern Kentucky economy, fell sharply over the last decade as cheaper natural gas prices and tougher environmental regulations prompted electric providers to move away from buying coal.
    CBS News, CBS News, 24 Oct. 2024
  • The list includes: Whether the incumbent party’s candidate faced a tough challenge for the nomination, and if the economy’s currently in recession.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • This searing manual deconstructs the subgenre and the process that goes into contributing to it, bringing the study thereof into a whole new era of experimentation and boundary dissolution.
    Tyler Thier, JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2024
  • Tarantula hawk wasp The tarantula hawk wasp's sting is often described as a searing electric shock that can incapacitate its victim temporarily.
    Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 25 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • Bill undergoes a moral crisis when his path crosses with a wretched head nun (Emily Watson) at a convent that’s part of the notorious Magdalene Laundries — a place of severe abuse of women.
    Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Hurricane Oscar made landfall in far eastern Cuba around the same time as the blackout, throwing a one-two punch that has sapped precious resources in a country suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
    Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • This soaring exploration of generational trauma starts with Star, a survivor of the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, who’s forced to speak English and practice Christianity by the man who goes on to found the notoriously cruel Carlisle Indian Industrial School.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
  • But at times, there’s a defensive, slightly cruel streak to his patter that can eclipse his better angels (of which there are many) and test the goodwill of those around him.
    Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.
    Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
  • Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • Industrial pain : The industrials are having a rough day.
    Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2024
  • After a rough script is written, experts are consulted, beginning a lengthy fact-checking and simplification process, as the concept is squeezed into a nutshell.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near oppressive

Cite this Entry

“Oppressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressive. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on oppressive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!