Basic Details
Word: Oppressive
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Cruel and unfair in the way it controls people. It is also used for heat or a mood that feels heavy and hard to bear.
Synonyms: harsh, cruel, tyrannical, stifling
Antonyms: fair, just, humane
Word origin: From Latin opprimere, to press against or crush, through French.
How to Spell Oppressive
Syllables: op - pres - sive
Tricky part: There are two pairs of double letters: pp after the o, then ss before ive. Students often drop one pair and write opressive or oppresive.
Watch out for: opressive, oppresive, opresive
Memory tip: Think of press: to oppress people is to press down hard on them. Put op in front of press, keep the double s of press, then add ive.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The oppressive heat in Nagpur in May keeps most people indoors after noon.
Example 2: Every harvest, the villagers had to hand over oppressive taxes to the landlord.
Example 3: An oppressive silence filled the room after the bad news.
Fun Fact
The Rowlatt Act of 1919 allowed the British to jail Indians without trial, and protests against it as an oppressive law spread across the country.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word oppressive as used in the sentence:
The new king removed the oppressive rules that had kept the farmers poor for years.
a) harsh
b) unjust
c) fair
d) cruel
Show answer
c) fair. Harsh, cruel and unjust describe the same kind of rule as oppressive; fair points the other way.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
op_re_sive
a) p, c
b) b, s
c) p, s
d) s, s
Show answer
c) p, s. Both gaps double a letter: the pp comes from oppress and the ss from press.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The miners went on strike against the vpiseorspe working hours set by the owners.
a) oppressive
b) progressive
c) possessive
d) impressive
Show answer
a) oppressive. The jumble has no m for impressive and no g for progressive, and possessive would need four s's.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A ruler who is oppressive is most likely to ____.
a) lower taxes for the poor
b) punish people who disagree
c) listen to every complaint
d) hold free and fair votes
Show answer
b) punish people who disagree
2. Which weather is best described as oppressive?
a) a cool breeze after rain
b) a crisp winter morning
c) hot, heavy and humid air
d) a light spring drizzle
Show answer
c) hot, heavy and humid air
