oppress: Meaning and Definition of

op•press

Pronunciation: (u-pres'), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to burden with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power: a people oppressed by totalitarianism.
  2. to lie heavily upon (the mind, a person, etc.): Care and sorrow oppressed them.
  3. to weigh down, as sleep or weariness does.
  4. to put down; subdue or suppress.
  5. to press upon or against; crush.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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