Standard Lemma guide

downtrodden

adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdaʊnˌtɹɒdən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈdaʊnˌtɹɑdən/
  • CMU ARPABET: D AW2 N T R AA1 D AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Oppressed, persecuted or subjugated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: undertrodden

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Trodden down.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a patch of downtrodden soil

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

past participle of downtread

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

past participle of downtrod

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

abused or oppressed by people in power

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English *dountroden, past participle of Middle English dountreden (“to tread down, trample”), equivalent to down- + trodden.

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: əzilən — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Azerbaijani: məzlum — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Azerbaijani: sıxılan — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Azerbaijani: incidilən — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Azerbaijani: qapazaltı — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Catalan: oprimit — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Dutch: onderdrukt — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Dutch: verdrukt — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Finnish: sorrettu — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Finnish: poljettu — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • French: brimé — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • French: écrasé — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • French: opprimé — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • German: unterdrückt — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Hindi: दबा-कुचला (dabā-kuclā) — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Norwegian: undertrykket — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Romanian: oprimat — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Romanian: asuprit — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Russian: угнетённый (ugnetjónnyj) — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Scottish Gaelic: claoidhte — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Scottish Gaelic: air sàrachadh — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Serbo-Croatian: podjarmljen — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Serbo-Croatian: ugnjeten — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Spanish: oprimido — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Spanish: subyugado — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Spanish: pisoteado — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Spanish: hollado — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Spanish: conculcado — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Swedish: nedtryckt — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Swedish: förtryckt — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Ukrainian: пригно́блений (pryhnóblenyj) — oppressed, persecuted or subjugated
  • Dutch: vertrapt — trodden down
  • Finnish: poljettu — trodden down
  • French: écrasé — trodden down
  • Norwegian: nedtråkket — trodden down
  • Russian: расто́птанный (rastóptannyj) — trodden down
  • Scottish Gaelic: breabta — trodden down
  • Scottish Gaelic: air saltradh — trodden down
  • Serbo-Croatian: pogažen — trodden down
  • Spanish: pisoteado — trodden down
  • Spanish: patullado — trodden down
  • Spanish: apisonado — trodden down
  • Spanish: zapateado — trodden down
  • Spanish: hollado — trodden down
  • Spanish: rehollado — trodden down
  • Spanish: conculcado — trodden down
  • Spanish: taconeado — trodden down
  • Swedish: nedtrampad — trodden down