Oppressive — Op*press ive, a. [Cf. F. oppressif.] 1. Unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe, rigorous, or harsh; as, oppressive taxes; oppressive exactions of service; an oppressive game law. Macaulay. [1913 Webster] 2. Using oppression; tyrannical; as,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
oppressive — [adj1] overwhelming, repressive backbreaking*, bleak, brutal, burdensome, confining, cruel, demanding, depressing, depressive, despotic, dictatorial, discouraging, disheartening, dismal, dispiriting, exacting, exigent, gloomy, grievous, grinding … New thesaurus
oppressive — I adjective afflictive, arduous, burdensome, confining, cruel, crushing, cumbersome, cumbrous, depressing, detrimental, devouring, difficult, difficult to bear, distressing, engulfing, exacting, exhausting, fatiguing, formidable, galling,… … Law dictionary
oppressive — (adj.) 1641, from M.L. oppressivus, from pp. stem of opprimere (see OPPRESS (Cf. oppress)). Related: Oppressively; oppressiveness … Etymology dictionary
oppressive — *onerous, burdensome, exacting Analogous words: extorting or extortionate, extracting (see corresponding verbs at EDUCE): compelling or compulsory, coercing or coercion, constraining, obliging or obligatory (see corresponding verbs at FORCE):… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
oppressive — ► ADJECTIVE 1) harsh and authoritarian. 2) weighing heavily on the mind or spirits. 3) (of weather) close and sultry. DERIVATIVES oppressively adverb oppressiveness noun … English terms dictionary
oppressive — [ə pres′iv] adj. [ME oppressivus < L oppressus: see OPPRESS] 1. hard to put up with; causing great discomfort or fatigue 2. cruelly overbearing; tyrannical 3. weighing heavily on the mind, spirits, or senses; distressing SYN. ONEROUS… … English World dictionary
oppressive — [[t]əpre̱sɪv[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED If you describe a society, its laws, or customs as oppressive, you think they treat people cruelly and unfairly. The new laws will be just as oppressive as those they replace. ...refugees from the oppressive regime … English dictionary
oppressive — op|pres|sive [əˈpresıv] adj 1.) powerful, cruel, and unfair ▪ an oppressive military regime 2.) weather that is oppressive is unpleasantly hot with no movement of air ▪ the oppressive heat of the afternoon 3.) a situation that is oppressive makes … Dictionary of contemporary English
oppressive — adjective 1 powerful, cruel, and unfair: an oppressive military regime 2 weather that is oppressive is unpleasantly hot with no movement of air: The evening gradually grew more and more oppressive. 3 a situation that is oppressive makes you feel… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
oppressive — oppressively, adv. oppressiveness, n. /euh pres iv/, adj. 1. burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical: an oppressive king; oppressive laws. 2. causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate, etc.: oppressive heat. 3. distressing or… … Universalium
