DictionaryRoot: premere
Latin
premere
press
Forms
- premere
- press- — The changed form used for completed action and its derivatives.
- -prim- — The vowel changed in some Latin compounds.
Origin
An inherited Latin verb with older Indo-European ancestry; the exact earliest reconstruction is uncertain.
Note
Physical pressure supplied a natural model for restraint, expression, and compression.
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verb
oppress
uh-PRESS/əˈpres/
To subject someone to severe hardship or unjust control.
Etymology
The image is of pressing against or down on someone. Physical crushing became a figure for subduing people and keeping them down through cruel or unjust power.
Related word entries
- compressPressing into less space
- compressCloth treatment pad
- compression
- compressor
- depress
- depressed
- depressing
- depressionLow spirits
- depressionSunken area
- depressor
- espresso
- expressCommunicating
- expressFast transport or delivery
- expressSqueezing out
- expressionConveying thoughts or feelings
- expressionGenetic manifestation
- expressive
- impress
- impressed
- impressionFeeling or opinion
- impressionOnline advertisement display
- impressionImitation of a person
- impressive
- imprimatur
- imprint
- oppress
- oppressionUnjust control
- oppressionHeavy distress
- oppressive
- oppressor
- repress
- repression
- repressive
- reprimand
- suppress
- suppression