persecute
verb
[ ˈpəːsɪkjuːt ]
• subject (someone) to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their race or political or religious beliefs.
• "his followers were persecuted by the authorities"
Similar:
oppress,
abuse,
victimize,
ill-treat,
mistreat,
maltreat,
discriminate against,
punish,
inflict pain/suffering on,
tyrannize,
afflict,
torment,
torture,
martyr,
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’.
