v. 25B6; verb
they were persecuted for their religious beliefs : OPPRESS, abuse, victimize, ill-treat, mistreat, maltreat, tyrannize, torment, torture; martyr.
she was persecuted by the press : HARASS, hound, plague, badger, harry, intimidate, pick on, pester, bother, bedevil, bully, victimize, terrorize; N. Amer. devil; informal hassle, give someone a hard time, get on someone's back; Austral. informal heavy.