Persecute

Pronunciation: /ˈpɜrsɪˌkjut/

Definitions of persecute

verb to subject someone to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their race or political or religious beliefs

Example Sentences

A1 The cat was persecuted by the dog.

A2 She felt persecuted by her classmates for being different.

B1 The religious minority was persecuted by the government.

B2 The activist was persecuted for speaking out against the regime.

C1 The journalist was persecuted for exposing corruption in the government.

C2 Throughout history, many groups have been persecuted for their beliefs or identities.

Examples of persecute in a Sentence

formal The government has been accused of allowing certain groups to persecute minority communities.

informal She felt like her boss was persecuting her by giving her all the difficult tasks.

slang I can't believe they're still persecuting that poor guy for something he didn't even do.

figurative Her guilt persecuted her like a relentless shadow, following her every move.

Grammatical Forms of persecute

• past tense: persecuted
• plural: persecutes
• comparative: more persecuted
• superlative: most persecuted
• present tense: persecute
• future tense: will persecute
• perfect tense: have persecuted
• continuous tense: is persecuting
• singular: persecutes
• positive degree: persecute
• infinitive: persecute
• gerund: persecuting
• participle: persecuted

Origin and Evolution of persecute

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'persecute' originated from the Latin word 'persecutus', which means 'pursued' or 'harassed'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a religious context to describe the mistreatment or harassment of individuals based on their beliefs, the word 'persecute' has evolved to encompass any form of systematic mistreatment or harassment towards a particular group or individual.