American Dictionary
Definition persecute in American English
persecute verb
[transitive] verb
/ˈpɜrsˌɪkjut/
1
to treat someone extremely badly, or to refuse them equal rights, especially because of their race, religion, or political beliefs
Example
In those days, Christians were persecuted by the government.
Example
They have denied persecuting or killing political dissidents.
Synonyms and related words
2
to frequently annoy or threaten someone
Example
Why are you persecuting me like this?
