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That which burdens, oppresses, or grieves the mind or spirits; as, a load of care. " A . . . load of guilt." Ray. " Our life's a load." Dryden.

In subjection, poverty, or disgrace; as, to be brought low by oppression, by want, or by vice. Spenser.

whole machine of government ought not to bear upon the people with a weight so heavy and oppressive. Landor.

In Russia, severe oppressive laws against Jews, which have given occasion for great persecution; -- so called because they received the assent of the czar in May, 1882, and because likened to the Prussian May laws (see Kulturkampf).

etc. -- To have hard measure, to have harsh treatment meted out to one; to be harshly or oppressively dealt with. -- To take measures, to make preparations; to provide means. -- To take one's measure, to measure one, as for a garment; hence, to form an opinion of one's disposition, character, ability, etc. -- To tr…

constitution or existence; the vital powers; the natural life. "My days of nature." Shak. Oppressed nature sleeps. Shak.

to be more and more perverse and rebellious. Neh. ix. 17. -- To tread on the neck of, to oppress; to tyrannize over.

subsistence; poverty; indigence; destitution. Chaucer. Famine is in thy cheeks; Need and oppression starveth in thine eyes. Shak.

ght on the chest or stomach, impossibility of motion or speech, etc.), or by frightful or oppressive dreams, from which one wakes after extreme anxiety, in a troubled state of mind; incubus. Dunglison.

nciples or practice of a nonresistant; passive obedience; submission to authority, power, oppression, or violence without opposition.

intains that no resistance should be made to constituted authority, even when unjustly or oppressively exercised; one who advocates or practices absolute submission; also, one who holds that violence should never be resisted by force.

Burdensome; oppressive. "Too onerous a solicitude." I. Taylor. Onerous cause (Scots Law), a good and legal consideration; -- opposed to gratuitous.

To oppress by bulk; to overtower. [Obs. & R.] Shak.

To charge or load too heavily; to burden; to oppress; to cloy. Sir W. Raleigh.

To oppress; to weigh down. [Obs.] Shak.

To grow beyond; to rise above; hence, to overcome; to oppress. [Obs.] Mortimer. "O'ergrown with labor." Beau. & Fl. [Usually in the past participle.]

To abuse or oppress, as if by treading upon. None of them the feeble overran. Spenser.

ngulf; hence, figuratively, to immerse and bear down; to overpower; to crush; to bury; to oppress, etc., overpoweringly. The sea overwhelmed their enemies. Ps. lxxviii. 53. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. Ps. lv. 5. Foul deeds will rise, Though all the earth o'erwhelm them. S…

th fortitude; uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil, pain, poverty, insult, oppression, calamity, etc. Strenthened with all might, . . . unto all patience and long- suffering. Col. i. 11. I must have patience to endure the load. Shak. Who hath learned lowliness From his Lord's cradle, patience from his cr…

e property of the public; to steal public moneys intrusted to one's care; to embezzle. An oppressive, . . . rapacious, and peculating despotism. Burke.