weighing heavily on the senses or spirit; "the atmosphere was oppressive"; "oppressive sorrows"
If you describe the weather or the atmosphere in a room as oppressive, you mean that it is unpleasantly hot and damp. The oppressive afternoon heat had quite tired him out = stifling
marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior; "the oppressive government"; "oppressive laws"; "a tyrannical parent"; "tyrannous disregard of human rights"
Unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe, rigorous, or harsh; as, oppressive taxes; oppressive exactions of service; an oppressive game law
If you describe a society, its laws, or customs as oppressive, you think they treat people cruelly and unfairly. The new laws will be just as oppressive as those they replace. refugees from the oppressive regime. = repressive