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 — 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
