refugees

NOUN

person running from something, often oppression

Synonyms

STRONGEST

alien displaced person emigrant evacuee exile expatriate foreigner

STRONG

DP castaway defector derelict deserter escapee foundling fugitive leper maroon outcast outlaw prodigal renegade runaway

WEAK

boat person expellee homeless person stateless person émigré

Antonyms

STRONGEST

citizen national native

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 January 2025, Malaysia turned away two boats carrying around 300 refugees after giving the passengers food and water.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“My parents are Hungarian refugees from communism,” Hilton said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Since October 2025, 4,499 refugees were resettled in the US, according to the Refugee Processing Center.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

And yet, as Daniela Gerson observes in “The Wanderers,” the survival stories of the Jewish refugees under Stalin remain largely unfamiliar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

We refugees divided ourselves into circles of a dozen or so.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau