oppressive
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L294925 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /əˈpɹɛs.ɪv/ / /əʊˈpɹɛs.ɪv/
adj
Etymology: Etymology tree English oppress Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Old French -ifbor. Middle English -yf English -ive English oppressive From oppress + -ive.
- Burdensome or difficult to bear.
“The oppressive tax laws made it difficult to start a small company.”
- Tyrannical or exercising unjust power.
“oppressive smell”
“The oppressive land-owners kept a grip on the labourers.”
- Weighing heavily on the spirit; being quite intense, excessive or overwhelming.
“Will the oppressive heat of summer never end?”
“Without being slaves in fact, their condition is little better than vassalage in its most oppressive form.”
- Hot and humid.