Library / English Dictionary

PERSECUTE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to suffer

Example:

Some religious groups are persecuted in some countries

Synonyms:

oppress; persecute

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "persecute" is one way to...):

bedevil; crucify; dun; frustrate; rag; torment (treat cruelly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "persecute"):

purge (oust politically)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

persecution (the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion))

persecutor (someone who torments)

Credits