repress

/rɪˈprɛs/

Say it: ri-PRESS

1. verb To hold back or prevent feelings, thoughts, or desires from being expressed, often unconsciously.
He had to repress a sudden urge to laugh during the solemn ceremony.
2. verb To subdue or control a group of people by force.
The regime used its military to repress the growing dissent among the population.
3. verb To restrain or prevent the development, action, or expression of something.
The country's economic policies repressed growth for nearly a decade.

📖 Seen in the wild

She tried to repress her anger, but her frustration was evident in her voice.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ repress in a sentence

She learned from a young age to repress her feelings of sadness.
The government's attempts to repress the truth only made the media more determined to uncover it.
He couldn't repress a yawn as the lecture dragged on.
Many psychologists believe that repressing traumatic memories can lead to long-term issues.
The new manager's authoritarian style repressed creativity on the team.
The dictator brutally repressed all forms of opposition.
The medication is designed to repress the body's immune response.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

suppress stifle subdue quell bottle up inhibit crush oppress restrain

suppress · often implies a more conscious and deliberate effort to hold something back.

stifle · suggests smothering or suffocating something before it can fully develop.

subdue · implies bringing something under control, often with less overwhelming force than 'crush'.

quell · typically used for riots or uprisings, suggesting the restoration of order.

Opposites: express, release, encourage, foster, liberate

🌱 Where it comes from

The word 'repress' comes from the Latin 'reprimere', meaning 'to press back' or 'check'. It's formed from 're-', meaning 'back', and 'premere', meaning 'to press'. This core idea of forcefully pushing something back is still central to all of its modern meanings, from pushing back a feeling to pushing back a political movement.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

repress an urgerepress a memoryrepress a smilerepress dissentrepress a rebellion

While 'repress' and 'suppress' are often used interchangeably, there's a key distinction in psychology. To 'repress' a memory or feeling is typically an unconscious defense mechanism, while to 'suppress' one is a conscious choice. In political or social contexts, this distinction is less important, though 'repress' often carries a stronger sense of systematic, authoritarian force.

Word family: repression, repressive, repressor

💬 Quick answers

What does 'repress' mean?

It means to hold something back, either by force, like a rebellion, or psychologically, like a painful memory or an unwanted feeling.

What is the difference between 'repress' and 'suppress'?

In psychology, 'repress' often refers to an unconscious act of pushing away thoughts, while 'suppress' is a conscious effort. In other contexts, they are very similar, but 'suppress' can also mean to stop something from being known publicly.

Is 'repress' a negative word?

Yes, it almost always has a negative connotation. It suggests the forceful or unhealthy containment of something that wants to be free, whether it's a person's feelings or a group's rights.

What is a repressed memory?

A repressed memory is a concept in psychology where a traumatic memory is unconsciously blocked from a person's awareness because it is too painful to confront.

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