oppressive

/əˈprɛsɪv/

/əˈprɛsɪv/

Think of something crushing you, and you will understand what oppressive is. It can be something that crushes your spirit, like a bad relationship, or something that crushes you with its tyranny, like the oppressive rule of a dictator.

Oppressive comes in many flavors; laws can be oppressive, governments can be oppressive, even relationships can be oppressive. The adjective oppressive is heavy stuff; it can feel like you can't breathe, like something is choking you: "His oppressive behavior made me feel like I was being smothered." If something is just too intense, and not in a good way, that also can feel oppressive.

Definitions of oppressive

1. adjective

   weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
   “the atmosphere was oppressive”

   “oppressive sorrows”

   synonyms:

   heavy

   marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness
2. adjective

   marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior
   “the oppressive government”

   “oppressive laws”

   synonyms: tyrannical, tyrannous

   domineering

   tending to domineer