- cruel, harsh, or tyrannical
- heavy, constricting, or depressing
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
op•pres•sive /əˈprɛsɪv/USA pronunciation
adj.
op•pres•sive•ness, n. [uncountable]See -press-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- unfairly or unjustly harsh, difficult, or cruel:an oppressive government.
- causing discomfort:oppressive heat.
- causing anxiety or depression:an oppressive sense of failure.
op•pres•sive•ness, n. [uncountable]See -press-.
op•pres•sive
(ə pres′iv),USA pronunciation adj.
op•pres′sive•ly, adv.
op•pres′sive•ness, n.
- burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical:an oppressive king; oppressive laws.
- causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc.:oppressive heat.
- distressing or grievous:oppressive sorrows.
- Medieval Latin oppresīvus, equivalent. to oppress(us) (see oppress) + -īvus -ive
- 1620–30
op•pres′sive•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
oppressive /əˈprɛsɪv/ adj
'oppressive' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
burden
- close
- dead weight
- disburden
- hand
- heavy-handed
- Justinian II
- languor
- lighten
- miasma
- onerous
- pall
- sirocco
- sultry
- swelter
- tyranny
- tyrannical
- tyrannize
- weigh
- weight
- yoke
- bare
- domineering
- dragoon
- easy
- extortion
- fusty
- grievous
- hang
- hard
- hard-handed
- heavily
- heavy
- improve
- lassitude
- leaden
- liberate
- man
- Molly Maguire
- persecute
- Pharaonic
- ressentiment
- unload
- self-oppressive
- stuffy
- sweltering