oppress

表示把人或事物压在下面：最常指以不公正的力量压制他人，也可指使人感到沉重、郁闷；另有少见的历史用法。

💡 记忆钩子

核心画面是“往下压”：权力把弱者压住，就是压迫；沉重的天气或处境把人的心情压住，就是使人郁闷。更早的字面用法还可以指身体上压住、闷住，其他历史义项则从这种伤害性的“压制”概念分化出来。

📝 学习建议

先掌握“压迫、压制”这一社会和政治语境，再记“使人郁闷”这一引申义；不要把它只理解成普通的“使悲伤”。
它通常暗含不公、伤害或沉重压力，不宜随意替代中性的“影响”或“阻止”。

📖 中文释义

verb

core 压迫；以不公正力量压制

📖 指掌权者、强势群体或制度用不公正的力量限制、控制并伤害较弱者，就像把对方长期压在下面。

💡 常用结构是“某群体 oppresses 某群体”或“某群体 is oppressed by 某群体”。宾语通常是人群、少数群体或弱势阶层，常与社会、政治和历史问题连用。它比一般的“阻止”或“控制”语气更强，含有不公和伤害的意思。

transitive

The regime oppressed the minority for decades.

这个政权压迫少数群体长达数十年。

Workers were oppressed by unfair laws.

工人受到不公平法律的压迫。
common 使人郁闷；使心情沉重

📖 指天气、环境、忧虑或其他沉重因素像压力一样压在人的心上，使人感到悲观、压抑或没有精神。

💡 常用结构是“某种天气、气氛或忧虑 oppresses 某人”，也可用“be oppressed by 某事”表示被这种沉重感笼罩。这个用法偏书面或文学化，日常口语中常用更直接的“使某人感到沮丧”等表达。这里不是说对方遭受政治压迫，而是说情绪受到沉重影响。

transitive

The endless rain oppressed everyone in the house.

没完没了的雨让屋里每个人都感到压抑。
rare 压住；闷住或压碎

📖 这是古旧用法，指用身体力量压在某人身上并造成伤害，可看作“往下压”这一核心画面的直接字面义。

💡 现代英语中几乎不这样使用，主要会在古典文学或历史文本中遇到。不要把它当作现代英语里普通的“按压”或“压碎”来主动使用。阅读时可结合上下文判断它是否带有闷住或致伤的意思。

obsolete transitive
rare 性侵；强奸

📖 这是古旧且涉及性暴力的用法，指以暴力或强迫方式侵犯他人的性自主权。

💡 现代英语中通常不使用这个词表达该义，相关语境应使用明确的现代法律或临床术语。这个义项带有严重的性暴力含义，不应根据普通的“压迫”义自行推断。阅读历史文本时要依靠上下文确认其含义。

obsolete transitive

oppresses present,singular,third-person oppressing participle,present oppressed participle,past oppressed past oppress first-person,present,singular oppressed first-person,past,singular oppress present,second-person,singular oppressest archaic,present,second-person,singular oppressed past,second-person,singular oppressedst archaic,past,second-person,singular oppresseth archaic,present,singular,third-person oppressed past,singular,third-person oppress plural,present oppressed past,plural oppress present,subjunctive oppressed past,subjunctive oppress imperative,present - imperative,past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 2 组

come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority

同义词集: oppress suppress crush

The government oppresses political activists

下位: keep down, quash, reduce, repress, subdue, subjugate

cause to suffer

同义词集: persecute oppress

Some religious groups are persecuted in some countries

上位: bedevil, crucify, dun, frustrate, rag, torment 下位: purge

🌳 词源

源自中古英语和古法语，最终与拉丁语中表示“向下压、压在一起”的词根有关，与英语中的“press”同源。

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.

🔄 变式

- imperat oppressed 1st_sg oppressedst archaic oppresses present oppressest archaic oppresseth archaic oppressing present

🏷 单词标签 & 词根