Oppressiveness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. Using oppression; tyrannical; as, oppressive authority or
        commands.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Heavy; overpowering; hard to be borne; creating a sense of
        heavy burden; as, oppressive grief or woe; oppressive heat
        or humidity; an oppressive workload.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
              To ease the soul of one oppressive weight. --Pope.
        [1913 Webster] -- {Op*press"ive*ly}, adv. --
        {Op*press"ive*ness}, n.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  oppressiveness
       n 1: a feeling of being oppressed [syn: {oppression}]
       2: unwelcome burdensome difficulty [syn: {burdensomeness}, {onerousness}]