Historical Oppression Terminology

noun a person who is considered to be unfortunate or unlucky

adjective having little or no money, goods, or other means of support

• The poor devil was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.
• I heard that poor devil lost his job last week.
• That poor devil is always getting himself into trouble.
• She felt like a poor devil trapped in a never-ending cycle of bad luck.

noun a strong or rapid current of water flowing through a narrow channel

verb to move or go swiftly

• The participants in the marathon were from different countries, representing a diverse range of races.
• I love watching Formula 1 races on TV, it's so exciting!
• Let's race to the finish line and see who wins!
• In the corporate world, it often feels like a constant race to climb the ladder of success.

verb to restrain, prevent, or inhibit something from happening or expressing

• The government attempted to repress the protests by deploying riot police.
• She always tries to repress her emotions and put on a brave face.
• I can't believe he's trying to repress me like that!
• The memories of that traumatic event were repressed deep in her subconscious.

noun the restraint, prevention, or inhibition of a feeling, quality, etc.

• The government's repression of dissenting voices has raised concerns about human rights violations.
• The repression of free speech is a major issue in this country.
• They're really cracking down on repression of protests lately.
• Her repression of emotions eventually led to a breakdown.