1. oppressed, exploited, or treated unfairly by those in power; kept in a state of subjection
Usage: often used in the phrase 'downtrodden' (more common form); literary or formal register

Examples

• The downtrod workers finally organized a strike for better conditions.
• She wrote about the downtrod peasants of the medieval period.
• The novel tells the story of a downtrod community fighting for justice.
• Activists work to give voice to the downtrod and marginalized.
• The downtrod masses rose up against their oppressors.