3. A sense of heaviness or obstruction in the body or mind; depression; dullness; lassitude; as, an oppression
of spirits; an oppression of the lungs.
There gentlee Sleep
First found me, and with soft oppression seized
My drowsed sense.
Milton. 4. Ravishment; rape. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Oppressive
(Op*press"ive) a. [Cf. F. oppressif.]
1. Unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe, rigorous, or harsh; as, oppressive taxes; oppressive exactions
of service; an oppressive game law. Macaulay.
2. Using oppression; tyrannical; as, oppressive authority or commands.
3. Heavy; overpowering; hard to be borne; as, oppressive grief or woe.
To ease the soul of one oppressive weight.
Pope. — Op*press"ive*ly, adv. — Op*press"ive*ness, n.
Oppressor
(Op*press"or) n. [L.] One who oppresses; one who imposes unjust burdens on others; one
who harasses others with unjust laws or unreasonable severity.
The orphan pines while the oppressor feeds.
Shak.
To relieve the oppressed and to punish the oppressor.
Swift. Oppressure
(Op*pres"sure) n. Oppression. [Obs.]
Opprobrious
(Op*pro"bri*ous) a. [L. opprobriosus, fr. opprobrium. See Opprobrium.]
1. Expressive of opprobrium; attaching disgrace; reproachful; scurrilous; as, opprobrious language.
They . . . vindicate themselves in terms no less opprobrious than those by which they are attacked.
Addison. 2. Infamous; despised; rendered hateful; as, an opprobrious name.
This dark, opprobrious den of shame.
Milton. — Op*pro"bri*ous*ly, adv. — Op*pro"bri*ous*ness, n.
Opprobrium
(Op*pro"bri*um) n. [L., fr. ob (see Ob-) + probrum reproach, disgrace.] Disgrace; infamy; reproach
mingled with contempt; abusive language.
Being both dramatic author and dramatic performer, he found himself heir to a twofold opprobrium.
De
Quincey. Opprobry
(Op*pro"bry) n. Opprobrium. [Obs.] Johnson.
Oppugn
(Op*pugn") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Oppugned ; p pr. & vb. n. Oppugning.] [OF. oppugner, L.
oppugnare; ob (see Ob-) + pugnare to fight. See Impugn.] To fight against; to attack; to be in conflict
with; to oppose; to resist.
They said the manner of their impeachment they could not but conceive did oppugn the rights of Parliament.
Clarendon.
