How to Use oppressive in a Sentence

oppressive

adjective
  • The country is ruled by an oppressive regime.
  • I think these laws are oppressive.
  • This region suffers from oppressive heat in the summer months.
  • The situation was extremely tense; no one said a word, and the silence was oppressive.
  • The best time to visit most of these parks is in the spring and fall, when the heat is not as oppressive.
    — Derek Catron, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2020
  • Deputies, Forestal said, don't have to wear masks at times when the heat is oppressive in the jail.
    — Vic Ryckaert, The Indianapolis Star, 11 July 2020
  • The United States has coped with oppressive heat the past few weeks.
    — Monica Garrett, CNN, 4 Aug. 2022
  • In the before times, the sheer tonnage of new shows and new places to see them could feel oppressive.
    — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2021
  • There are also oppressive, racist groups that seem to be linked to overuse of psychedelics.
    — Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2022
  • Eager to be free of the house with its oppressive low ceilings.
    — Joyce Carol Oates, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
  • The Tigrayans had been oppressive rulers, Menber said, and the Amhara had borne the brunt of their aggression for too long.
    — Ann Neumann, Harper’s Magazine , 6 Jan. 2023
  • North Korea is the most hellish, least free, most oppressive place on earth.
    — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 20 Oct. 2020
  • Making the movie left the duo laboring for 100 days in the oppressive heat of the Oklahoma plains.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 Feb. 2024
  • Much of the central and southern parts of the country are in the grips of yet another oppressive heat wave.
    — Denise Chow, NBC News, 22 Aug. 2023
  • Plenty have spoken over the years about the oppressive sense of duty felt by The Royals.
    — Leila Latif, Chron, 5 Nov. 2022
  • In the shadows of an oppressive regime, silence can be a language of love.
    — Yangyang Cheng, The Atlantic, 23 Nov. 2021
  • In this cast, the oppressive force is obviously the horde of ghosts running around the manor.
    — Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 1 Sep. 2020
  • The second day of the heat wave apparently will be as oppressive as the first.
    — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2020
  • Highs in the 80s are not eye-catching, but the humidity is oppressive for the next two days.
    — David Streit, Washington Post, 7 July 2022
  • Summer in New York means oppressive heat for months on end.
    — Grace Stearns, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2021
  • But millions of Afghans fear the group will return to its brutal and oppressive past.
    — Zahra Nader, Time, 20 Aug. 2021
  • The oppressive heat could back off, a bit, starting on Monday.
    — Leigh Morgan, al, 1 Aug. 2021
  • Forecasts show the oppressive heat across much of the West is expected to last through at least Friday.
    — Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 7 Sep. 2022
  • This is when the weather is warm enough to be enjoyable but not yet oppressive.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2023
  • The friendly crowds gave the golfers a lift from the oppressive temperatures.
    — Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12 June 2021
  • Women have since abandoned their hijabs and cut their hair in a show of protest to the Khamenei regime’s oppressive practices.
    — Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2022
  • The cold front is forecast to slice through temperatures in the region and, at least briefly, put an end to the oppressive heat.
    — Pedram Javaheri, CNN, 18 Aug. 2021
  • Two levels below ground at the Grant Park North Garage, the summer heat feels oppressive.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2023
  • These statistics highlight that there is still much work to be done to eliminate these oppressive behaviors in the workplace.
    — Dr. Samantha Madhosingh, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • To be sure, Florida had its attractions, one of which was the sunny weather, although air conditioning was still rare at the time, and the heat and humidity could be oppressive for much of the year.
    — Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oppressive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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