Burdensome, harsh, and unjustly controlling; causing people to feel weighed down and unable to be free.
From Latin 'oppressus' (past participle of 'opprimere'), from 'ob-' (against) + 'premere' (to press). The metaphor of pressing down became synonymous with tyranny and unjust control.
The word 'oppressive' uses the metaphor of physical weight—and neuroscience shows this isn't just poetic: chronic stress from oppressive conditions actually changes brain structure and chemistry, making the metaphor biologically real.
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