persecuted
Hounded for beliefs
Persecuted describes someone subjected to cruel or unjust treatment, especially because of their identity, beliefs, or membership in a group: persecuted minorities, persecuted for their faith.
The word implies systematic mistreatment rather than isolated incidents.
A persecuted complex (more commonly persecution complex) describes someone who believes others are against them, whether justified or not.
Charged with wrongdoing
- chargedFormally accused of crime
- prosecutedLegally charged with crime
- indictedFormally charged legally
- defendantParty facing charges
trial · warrant · hunted · fugitive · extradited · criminalized · whistleblower · framed
Persistently tormented
- bulliedRepeatedly mistreated by aggressors
- tormentedSubjected to severe distress
- houndedPersistently pursued or pressured
- victimizedTreated cruelly or unfairly
targeted · stalked · intimidated · ostracized · shunned · scapegoated · blamed · paranoid
Killed for belief
- oppressedTreated with cruel control
- faithfulConsistently loyal and true
- believersThose having faith
- ChristiansJesus's followers collectively
Jews · Muslims · Huguenots · Copts · heretics · apostates · missionaries · converts
Smaller portions of populations
- genocideSystematic annihilation of a people
- pogromsOrganized persecution of minorities
- cleansingRemoving dirt or toxins
- displacedShifted from proper location
refugees · stateless · marginalized · scapegoated · targeted · discriminated · Rohingya · Uyghurs
accused
Charged with wrongdoing
- chargedFormally accused of crime
- prosecutedLegally charged with crime
- indictedFormally charged legally
defendant · trial · warrant · hunted · fugitive · extradited · criminalized · whistleblower · framed · evidence
harassed
Persistently tormented
- bulliedRepeatedly mistreated by aggressors
- tormentedSubjected to severe distress
- houndedPersistently pursued or pressured
victimized · targeted · stalked · intimidated · ostracized · shunned · scapegoated · blamed · paranoid · traumatized
martyred
Killed for belief
Christians · Jews · Muslims · Huguenots · Copts · heretics · apostates · missionaries · converts · Inquisition
minorities
Smaller portions of populations
- genocideSystematic annihilation of a people
- pogromsOrganized persecution of minorities
- cleansingRemoving dirt or toxins
displaced · refugees · stateless · marginalized · scapegoated · targeted · discriminated · Rohingya · Uyghurs · Roma
dissidents
Political objectors
- activistsPeople working for causes
- oppositionActive resistance or dissent
- prisonersIncarcerated individuals
asylum · refugees · exiled · targeted · silenced · censored · detained · imprisoned · fugitive · resistance
- outcastsoutcast, pariah, pariahs, outcasts, outlaws
- Jesus' teachingsSermon on the Mount, beatitudes, Beatitudes, love your enemies, Lord's Prayer
- wrongedabused, mistreated, victimized, exploited, oppressed
- dissentersdissenter, dissenters, dissidents, dissident, nonconformists
- rejectedrejected, spurned, rebuffed, snubbed, refused
persecutedwelcomed
Received with pleasure
accepted · embraced · included · celebrated · honored
persecutedprivileged
Having special advantages
empowered · safeguarded · secure · favored · entitled
- religious persecutionHarming others for faith
- political persecutionState punishment for beliefs
- persecution complexDelusion of being targeted
- ethnic persecutionTargeting groups by ancestry
- Jewish persecutionDiscrimination against Jewish people
- Christian persecutionOppression of church followers
persecute, persecution, persecutor, persecutes, persecuting, persecutions