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   persecute

   /ˈpəːsɪkjuːt/

   verb

   • 1. subject (someone) to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation or their political beliefs: "his followers were persecuted by the authorities" Similar oppressabusevictimizeill-treatmistreatmaltreatdiscriminate againstpunishinflict pain/suffering ontyrannizeafflicttormenttorturemartyr
   • ▪ harass or annoy (someone) persistently: "Hilda was persecuted by some of the other girls" Similar harasshoundplaguebadgerharrybaitintimidatepick ontroublemolestteasepesterbotherworryannoybedevilbullyvictimizeterrorizedevilinformal:hasslegive someone a hard timeget on someone's backmake it/things hot for someoneget/stick the knife intoheavy

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Old French persecuter, from Latin persecut- ‘followed with hostility’, from the verb persequi, from per- ‘through, utterly’ + sequi ‘follow, pursue’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. persecutory adjective

   Scrabble Points: 13

   • P

     3

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

   • S

     1

   • E

     1

   • C

     3

   • U

     1

   • T

     1

   • E

     1

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