adjective
oppressive
uh-PREHS-ihv
adjective
1
Unjust and harsh; ruling or treating people cruelly.
"Citizens fled the oppressive government in search of asylum."
2
Hard to bear; heavy, intense, or overwhelming, especially heat or humidity.
"The oppressive summer heat made it hard to sleep."
"An oppressive silence settled over the room after the announcement."
How to Use Oppressive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCrushing or overbearing — used for unjust rule, heavy heat, or any weight that's hard to bear.
Common pairings
oppressive heat
oppressive regime
oppressive atmosphere
Word Forms
more oppressive comparative, most oppressive superlative
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Citizens fled the _____ government in search of asylum.
Etymology
Built from oppress plus the adjective ending -ive, ultimately from Latin opprimere, "to press down or crush."