repress
1 of 2verb (1)
re·press ri-ˈpres 
repressed; repressing; represses
transitive verb
1
a
: to check by or as if by pressure : curb
injustice was repressed
b
: to put down by force : subdue
repress a disturbance
2
a
: to hold in by self-control
repressed a laugh
b
: to prevent the natural or normal expression, activity, or development of
repressed her anger
3
: to exclude from consciousness
repressed the memory of abuse
4
: to inactivate (a gene or formation of a gene product) by allosteric combination at a DNA binding site
intransitive verb
: to take repressive action
repressibility
ri-ˌpre-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun repressible
ri-ˈpre-sə-bəl
adjective repressive
ri-ˈpre-siv
adjective repressively adverb
repressiveness noun
re-press
2 of 2verb (2)
(ˌ)rē-ˈpres
re-pressed; re-pressing; re-presses
transitive verb
: to press again
re-press a record
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- clamp down (on)
- crack down (on)
- crush
- put down
- quash
- quell
- silence
- slap down
- snuff (out)
- squash
- squelch
- subdue
- suppress
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb (1) Religious groups were severely repressed. quickly repressed the rebellion in the provincial city and restored order
Recent Examples on the Web
Jared Council, Forbes, 23 May 2022 Meanwhile, our governments are taking anti-democratic measures to repress their own citizens’ nonviolent campaigns of pressure aimed at holding Israel, and the companies and institutions that are complicit in its system of oppression, to account. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2022 Agitated brain waves can repress your full cognitive capabilities. Erin Urban, Forbes, 2 June 2022 Audiences are meant to identify with Halim, who has been forced to repress his true identity all these years. Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 June 2022 Now 30, the woman said the abuse poisoned later relationships and forced her to repress most of her memories of high school, as those experiences are now inextricably linked with trauma. oregonlive, 2 June 2022 When his family is murdered, he is trained by a mysterious shaman to repress his childish imagination and become an instrument of death. Manori Ravindran, Variety, 9 May 2022 The CEOs were shaped by experiences such as the Arab Spring, where everyday activists used social media services to share their experiences even as governments were trying to repress them. Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2022 Searching for your part in your life’s low ebbs might lead you to repress your own suffering or, worse, compound it. Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 19 Apr. 2022 See More
Verb
Two years is not enough time to undo the impact of centuries of policies and societal norms designed to repress Black Americans. Jared Council, Forbes, 23 May 2022 Meanwhile, our governments are taking anti-democratic measures to repress their own citizens’ nonviolent campaigns of pressure aimed at holding Israel, and the companies and institutions that are complicit in its system of oppression, to account. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2022 Agitated brain waves can repress your full cognitive capabilities. Erin Urban, Forbes, 2 June 2022 Audiences are meant to identify with Halim, who has been forced to repress his true identity all these years. Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 June 2022 Now 30, the woman said the abuse poisoned later relationships and forced her to repress most of her memories of high school, as those experiences are now inextricably linked with trauma. oregonlive, 2 June 2022 When his family is murdered, he is trained by a mysterious shaman to repress his childish imagination and become an instrument of death. Manori Ravindran, Variety, 9 May 2022 The CEOs were shaped by experiences such as the Arab Spring, where everyday activists used social media services to share their experiences even as governments were trying to repress them. Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2022 Searching for your part in your life’s low ebbs might lead you to repress your own suffering or, worse, compound it. Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 19 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English, from Anglo-French represser, from Latin repressus, past participle of reprimere to check, from re- + premere to press — more at press
First Known Use
Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Verb (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
repress
verb
re·press ri-ˈpres
repressed; repressing
: to hold in check by or as if by pressure On seeing his haircut, I had to repress a laugh.
Medical Definition
repress
transitive verb
re·press ri-ˈpres
1
: to exclude from consciousness
repress conflicts
2
: to inactivate (a gene or formation of a gene product) by allosteric combination at a DNA binding site
repressive
adjective
as in unaffecting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- unaffecting
- unemotional
- unimpressive
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- cathartic
- emotional
- impressive
- expressive
- poignant
- purifying
- purificatory
- moving
- cleansing
- meaningful
- stirring
- eloquent
- significant
- touching
- affecting
- impactful