Oppressive
Oppressive adjective - Difficult to endure.
Ruthless and oppressive are semantically related in harsh topic. In some cases you can use "Ruthless" instead an adjective "Oppressive", when it comes to topics like cruel.
Ruthless
Ruthless adjective - Having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings.
Usage example: an office supervisor with a ruthless disregard for others' feelings
Oppressive and ruthless are semantically related in harsh topic. Sometimes you can use "Oppressive" instead an adjective "Ruthless", if it concerns topics such as cruel.
Nearby Words: ruthlessly, ruth
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- relentless and oppressive
- relentless and ruthless
- harsh and oppressive
- harsh and ruthless
- brutal and oppressive
- brutal and ruthless
- hard and oppressive
- hard and ruthless
- severe and oppressive
- severe and ruthless
- tough and oppressive
- tough and ruthless
- heavy-handed and oppressive
- heavy-handed and ruthless
Both words in one sentence
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On the bright side, they're not as oppressive or ruthless as Zeon or the Ribbon's controlled Federation.
Source: Anime / Mobile Suit Gundam 00 -
Initially presented by the local Desert Dawn rebels as an oppressive and ruthless dictator, the Desert Tiger turns out to be a likeable and friendly guy with a penchant for coffee.
Source: Friendly Enemy -
A World Half Full: Both Andrecia, despite being in The Dung Ages, and The Empire, which is oppressive and ruthless but, as Jarell recognises, can still reform itself and progress beyond its current practices.
Cite this Source
Ruthless and Oppressive. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 31, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/oppressive/ruthless
Oppressive & Ruthless. N.p., 2016. Web. 31 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/oppressive/ruthless>.
Ruthless or Oppressive. 2016. Accessed July 31, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/oppressive/ruthless.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "oppressive" and "ruthless" have occurred on timeline