persecute

Word family

per·se·cute /ˈpɜːsɪkjuːt $ ˈpɜːr-/ verb [transitiveT]

1 CRUELto treat someone cruelly or unfairly over a period of time, especially because of their religious or political beliefs 〔尤因宗教或政治信仰不同〕迫害

The Puritans left England to escape being persecuted.

清教徒离开了英国以躲避迫害。

2 PROBLEMto deliberately cause difficulties for someone by annoying them often 骚扰，烦扰；纠缠 SYN harass

Like many celebrities, she complained of being persecuted by the press.

像许多名人一样，她也抱怨受到媒体的骚扰。

—persecutor noun [countableC]

5 —persecution/‚pɜːsɪ'kjuːʃ ə n/ n[C,U]

the persecution of writers who criticize the government

对批评政府的作家的迫害

Examples from the Corpus

persecute• Human rights advocates say racial minorities continue to be persecuted.• She was being persecuted and it was part of a carefully laid plan.• Duke said he was being persecuted by a hostile media.• As a result, he was persecuted by both regimes.• Later, in Victorian times, birds of prey were persecuted by game keepers, by taxidermists and by egg collectors.• The narrators have been persecuted for standing up for their principles.• Since society does not generally punish people for their illnesses, it followed that society should not persecute gays.• Countries all over Europe have persecuted gypsies for centuries.• Now, as Brown moves to expand that empire, he says he is feeling persecuted himself.• But tensions continued as victims of the repression took revenge against the cadres who had persecuted them.• Catholics were often persecuted under communism.• Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you...

Origin persecute

(1400-1500) French persécuter, from Latin persecutus, past participle of persequi “to pursue, follow”

per·se·cute verb

Chinese

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Corpus