verb
persecute
PUR-sih-kyoot/ˈpɜːrsɪkjuːt/
To repeatedly mistreat or harass someone.
The townspeople persecute the woman by repeatedly blocking her from the marketplace.
Etymology
The pieces combine in Latin with the sense of pursuing or hunting someone down. That hostile pursuit became oppression directed at people for their opinions or religious adherence, connecting persistent pursuit with repeated mistreatment.
In context
I gave you power not for you to use extrajudicial torture to persecute the descendants of loyal officials.
More examples
- The government persecutes people who openly criticize its leaders.
- She felt persecuted by neighbors who constantly mocked her accent.
- The supervisor kept persecuting one employee over tiny mistakes.
Forms
persecute · persecutes · persecuted · persecuting
persecution noun — Repeated cruel treatment or harassment.
persecutor noun — Someone who repeatedly mistreats or harasses others.