Oppress

v. t.	1.	To impose excessive burdens upon; to overload; hence, to treat with unjust rigor or with cruelty. [imp. & p. p. Oppressed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Oppressing.] For thee, oppressèd king, am I cast down. - Shak. Behold the kings of the earth; how they oppress Thy chosen! - Milton.
	2.	To ravish; to violate.
	3.	To put down; to crush out; to suppress. The mutiny he there hastes to oppress. - Shak.
	4.	To produce a sensation of weight in (some part of the body); as, my lungs are oppressed by the damp air; excess of food oppresses the stomach.

Verb	1.	oppress - come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority; "The government oppresses political activists" Synonyms: crush, suppress
	2.	oppress - cause to suffer; "Jews were persecuted in the former Soviet Union" Synonyms: persecute

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