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Oppress vs Derogatory - What's the difference?

oppress | derogatory |

As a verb oppress

is (obsolete) physically to press down on (someone) with harmful effects; to smother, crush.

As an adjective derogatory is

tending to derogate, or lessen in value of someone; expressing derogation; detracting; injurious.

As a noun derogatory is

a trade-line on a credit report that includes negative credit history.

oppress

English

Verb

(es)
  • (obsolete) Physically to press down on (someone) with harmful effects; to smother, crush.
  • * , II.x:
  • Most mercilesse of women, VVyden hight, / Her other sonne fast sleeping did oppresse , / And with most cruell hand him murdred pittilesse.
  • To keep down by force
  • The rural poor were oppressed by the land-owners.
  • To make sad or gloomy
  • We were oppressed by the constant grey skies.

    derogatory

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Tending to derogate, or lessen in value of someone; expressing derogation; detracting; injurious.
  • * (rfdate) (Blackstone).
  • Acts of Parliament derogatory from the power of subsequent Parliaments bind not.
  • * (rfdate) (Macaulay).
  • His language was severely censured by some of his brother peers as derogatory to their other.
  • (legal) When referring to a clause in a testament: a sentence of secret character inserted by the testator alone, of which he reserves the knowledge to himself, with a condition that no will he may make thereafter shall be valid, unless this clause is inserted word for word; – a precaution to guard against later wills extorted by violence, or obtained by suggestion. (rfd-sense)
  • Usage notes

    In common language, particularly used in the phrase “derogatory term”, equivalent to less common pejorative, and in “derogatory statements”, equivalent to more casual offensive.

    Derived terms

    * derogatory clause/clause derogatory

    Noun

    (derogatories)
  • A trade-line on a credit report that includes negative credit history.
  • Synonyms

    * pejorative