Examples of “oppressive” in a Sentence

adjective Unjust and harsh; ruling or treating people cruelly.

• Many writers left the country because of its oppressive laws.
• Workers described the factory owner as oppressive and refused to work extra hours.
• Citizens fled the oppressive government in search of asylum.

adjective Hard to bear; heavy, intense, or overwhelming, especially heat or humidity.

• By noon the air in the valley felt thick and oppressive.
• The oppressive summer heat made it hard to sleep.
• An oppressive silence settled over the room after the announcement.