## Meanings
1. To treat a group of people in a cruel and unfair way, keeping them down by force or authority.
2. To make someone feel very sad, worried, or weighed down.

## Examples
- The rural poor were oppressed by the land-owners.
- We were oppressed by the constant grey skies.

## Derived Forms
- oppressee
- oppressor
- reoppress

## Related Forms
- oppression
- oppressive

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: oppressen
- Root: oppresser
- Root: oppressare
- Root: opprimere

## Etymology
From Middle English oppressen, from Old French oppresser, from Medieval Latin oppressare (“to press against, oppress”), frequentative of Latin opprimere, past participle oppressus (“to press against, press together, oppress”), from ob (“against”) + premere, past participle pressus (“to press”); see press.

## AI Etymology
Oppress comes from Middle English oppressen, from Old French oppresser, from Medieval Latin oppressare (“to press against, oppress”), frequentative of Latin opprimere, past participle oppressus (“to press against, press together, oppress”), from ob (“against”) + premere, past participle pressus (“to press”); see press. Modern senses include to treat a group of people in a cruel and unfair way, keeping them down by force or authority and to make someone feel very sad, worried, or weighed down. The wider word family includes derivatives such as oppressee, oppressor, and reoppress and related forms such as oppression and oppressive.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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