persecuteper‧se‧cute /ˈpɜːsɪkjuːt $ ˈpɜːr-/ verb [transitive] 
Word Origin Examples
The Puritans left England to escape being persecuted.2to deliberately cause difficulties for someone by annoying them often SYN harass: Like many celebrities, she complained of being persecuted by the press.—persecutor noun [countable]
Word OriginWORD ORIGINpersecute
Verb TableOrigin:
1400-1500 French persécuter, from Latin persecutus, past participle of persequi ‘to pursue, follow’VERB TABLE
persecute
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | persecute |
| he, she, it | persecutes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | persecuted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have persecuted |
| he, she, it | has persecuted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had persecuted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will persecute |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have persecuted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am persecuting |
| he, she, it | is persecuting | |
| you, we, they | are persecuting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was persecuting |
| you, we, they | were persecuting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been persecuting |
| he, she, it | has been persecuting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been persecuting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be persecuting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been persecuting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Catholics were often persecuted under communism.
- Countries all over Europe have persecuted gypsies for centuries.
- Duke said he was being persecuted by a hostile media.
- Human rights advocates say racial minorities continue to be persecuted.
- As a result, he was persecuted by both regimes.
- Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you...
- But tensions continued as victims of the repression took revenge against the cadres who had persecuted them.
- Later, in Victorian times, birds of prey were persecuted by game keepers, by taxidermists and by egg collectors.
- Now, as Brown moves to expand that empire, he says he is feeling persecuted himself.
- She was being persecuted and it was part of a carefully laid plan.
- Since society does not generally punish people for their illnesses, it followed that society should not persecute gays.
- The narrators have been persecuted for standing up for their principles.
Longman Language Activatorto treat a person or animal in a cruel way► be cruel to
1to treat someone cruelly or unfairly over a period of time, especially because of their religious or political beliefs: · My father drank too much and was often very cruel to my mother.· It is unspeakably cruel to the prisoners to house them in such conditions.
► mistreat/ill-treat to deliberately treat a person or animal in a cruel way, especially when you are responsible for looking after them: · It looks as though this dog has been mistreated by its owner.· Neighbours were sure that the young couple had been ill-treating their children.
► bully to be cruel to someone who is weaker, younger, or has less authority than you: · A group of girls would bully the younger kids, and force them to give them money.· The court heard that the head of department would routinely bully and humiliate workers.
► abuse to treat someone in your family or someone you are responsible for in a cruel way, especially violently or sexually: · My father abused us for years.· Erica runs a hostel for women who have been abused by their husbands.sexually abuse (=force someone to take part in sexual activities): · Erik testified he was sexually abused by his father since the age of 6.
► persecute to be cruel to a person or group of people over a period of time, because of their race or their religious or political beliefs: · Countries all over Europe have persecuted gypsies for centuries.· Human rights advocates say racial minorities continue to be persecuted.
► treat somebody like dirt informal to treat someone as if they were completely worthless and not care about their feelings: · She treats him like dirt but he still loves her.· I wanted us to be friends again, but I wasn't prepared to be treated like dirt to achieve it.
► pick on informal to choose someone from a group to treat cruelly and unfairly especially by repeatedly criticizing them: · Bullies usually pick on younger children.· Why don't you pick on someone your own size?· Older members of staff often pick on an apprentice and make his life a misery.
► victimize also victimise British if a person or group is victimized , they are treated unfairly, for example because of their beliefs, their race, or because they are weak: · He wasn't happy at the school and said he was victimized because of his colour.· The company says she was not dismissed because of her political activities but she claims she was victimized.
cruel behaviour► cruelty cruel treatment or behaviour: · What kind of person could treat a fellow human being with such cruelty?· Her black eye and bruises were undeniable evidence of his cruelty.cruelty to: · Burnett has campaigned against cruelty to animals for more than 20 years.
► abuse deliberately cruel treatment of someone, especially someone in your family that you are supposed to care for: · Doctors believed that there was no evidence of abuse, despite the woman's claims.child abuse (=cruel treatment of children): · There has been an increase in the number of cases of child abuse.sexual abuse (=when someone forces another person to take part in sexual activities): · a victim of sexual abuse
► bullying cruel treatment of someone who is smaller, younger, or weaker - use this especially about children being cruel to other children: · The government has become involved in the effort to solve the problem of bullying in schools.
► mistreatment/ill-treatment/maltreatment cruel treatment of people or animals, especially those you have some control over: · There can be no good reason for the ill-treatment of factory-farm animals.· Jailers singled out certain prisoners for maltreatment.· There can be no excuse for the mistreatment of people seeking asylum in this country.
► persecution cruel treatment of people because of their religious or political beliefs, or because of the race they belong to: · Many Jews fled to America to escape persecution in Europe.· Katya asked the United States to protect her from persecution in her home country.persecution of: · the relentless persecution of American Communists in the 1950s
► atrocities extremely cruel and shocking actions against people, especially during a war: · Survivors from the concentration camps had witnessed unspeakable atrocities.commit atrocities: · Retreating soldiers told stories of awful atrocities committed by the enemy.
► sadism taking pleasure in cruel acts: · Sadism may stem from a desire to dominate.· Mzukwa grew quiet as he recalled the brutality and sadism of the prison guards.
► inhumanity cruelty that includes violence and a complete lack of sympathy for people's suffering: · Reformists were appalled by the immorality and inhumanity of the slave trade.· The novel focuses on the inhumanity of prisons and labour camps.
The Puritans left England to escape being persecuted.2to deliberately cause difficulties for someone by annoying them often SYN harass: Like many celebrities, she complained of being persecuted by the press.—persecutor noun [countable]