oppressive

Speech parts

1. oppressive - Adjective

2. oppressive - Adjective Satellite

Meaning

Unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe, rigorous, or harsh; as, oppressive taxes; oppressive exactions of service; an oppressive game law.

Using oppression; tyrannical; as, oppressive authority or commands.

Heavy; overpowering; hard to be borne; as, oppressive grief or woe.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Phrases with the word

Examples

The Government of the absolute majority instead of the Government of the people is but the Government of the strongest interests; and when not efficiently checked, it is the most tyrannical and oppressive that can be devised. John C. Calhoun

Old forms of government finally grow so oppressive that they must be thrown off even at the risk of reigns of terror. Herbert Spencer

Nothing turns out to be so oppressive and unjust as a feeble government. Edmund Burke

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. C. S. Lewis

Men have sacrificed and crippled themselves physically and emotionally to feed, house, and protect women and children. None of their pain or achievement is registered in feminist rhetoric, which portrays men as oppressive and callous exploiters. Camille Paglia

Language is legislation, speech is its code. We do not see the power which is in speech because we forget that all speech is a classification, and that all classifications are oppressive. Roland Barthes

Close letter words and terms