downtrodden

[doun-trod-n] / ˈdaʊnˌtrɒd n /

ADJECTIVE

afflicted, abused

Synonyms

STRONGEST

destitute distressed exploited needy oppressed persecuted

WEAK

a slave to abject at one's beck and call at one's feet at one's mercy have-not helpless in one's clutches in one's pocket in one's power led by the nose maltreated mistreated overcome subjugated subservient suppressed tyrannized under one's thumb underdog underfoot

Antonyms

STRONGEST

rich wealthy

WEAK

happy respected satisfied

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In light of the various industry-focused stock-market declines driven by AI adoption, some professional investors have been jumping onto downtrodden stocks.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

Throughout the book, elements from a talking fish to a possibly reincarnated dog exist alongside the bleak reality of a country so downtrodden and occupied that even its cartography isn’t in its own language.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Where are the demands for justice and freedom for the downtrodden victims of a brutally repressive state?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

According to Ford’s biographer Richard Norton Smith, they feared their protective resources might be stretched dangerously thin in such a downtrodden place—a concern no doubt magnified by two earlier assassination attempts against the president.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Because if we were all supposed to carbon-copy our parents, then I’d end up a brain-fried loser who runs away with a foot doctor, or a downtrodden Zen calculator.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Vocabulary lists containing downtrodden

Speak

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Murder on the Orient Express

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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

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