oppress
To treat people cruelly and unfairly, keeping them under control.
oppress in a sentence
- The wicked ruler used his soldiers to oppress the people.
- In the story, the villagers rose up against the tyrant who tried to oppress them.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to oppress?
- Arelease
- Bliberate
- Cfree
- Dcrush
Show the answer
D: crush. The other three mean the opposite of oppress.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to oppress?
- Acrush
- Bdominate
- Cfree
- Dbully
Show the answer
C: free. The other three mean nearly the same as oppress.
Words that mean something similar
crush, bully, dominate
Words that mean the opposite
free, liberate, release
More words about behaviour & manners
- painstaking: Done with great care and attention to every detail.
- pamper: To look after someone with too much care and comfort.
- pardon: To forgive someone for something they have done wrong.
- pester: To annoy someone by bothering them again and again.
- plunder: To steal goods by force, especially during a battle or raid.
- prim: Very neat, proper and easily shocked by rude things.
- privilege: A special right or advantage that only some people have.
- prohibit: To officially say that something is not allowed.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test