Wiktionary

oppress

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English oppressen, from Old French oppresser, from Medieval Latin oppressare (“to press against, oppress”), frequentative of Latin opprimere, past participle oppressus (“to press against, press together, oppress”), from ob (“against”) + premere, past participle pressus (“to press”); see press.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /əˈpɹɛs/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛs
  • Hyphenation: op‧press

Verb

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oppress (third-person singular simple present oppresses, present participle oppressing, simple past and past participle oppressed)

  1. (transitive) To keep down by unjust force.
    The rural poor were oppressed by the land-owners.
  2. (transitive) To make sad or gloomy.
    We were oppressed by the constant grey skies.
  3. (transitive, obsolete) Physically to press down on (someone) with harmful effects; to smother, crush.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To sexually violate; to rape.

Conjugation

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Conjugation of oppress
infinitive (to) oppress
present tense past tense
1st-person singular oppress oppressed
2nd-person singular oppress, oppressest† oppressed, oppressedst†
3rd-person singular oppresses, oppresseth† oppressed
plural oppress
subjunctive oppress oppressed
imperative oppress —
participles oppressing oppressed

†Archaic or obsolete.

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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