repressed; repressing; represses
1
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
: to take repressive action
repressively
adverb
repressiveness
noun
re-pressed; re-pressing; re-presses
: to press again
re-press a record
Synonyms
Examples of repress in a Sentence
Verb (1)
Religious groups were severely repressed.
quickly repressed the rebellion in the provincial city and restored order
Recent Examples on the Web
Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Or maybe the violent language of photography (to shoot, to capture) evokes, on some unconscious level, the sublimated aggression of the mother-child relationship that must be repressed to maintain a viable family life.
—Meghan O'Gieblyn, WIRED, 25 Mar. 2024
Titanic is famous for James Cameron's special effects that sent hundreds of passengers realistically hurtling from the side of a giant ship, but it's mainly remembered for the timeless love story between soulful vagabond Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and repressed socialite Rose (Kate Winslet).
—Lia Beck, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024
Here’s your story: the Green Beret coming home, and his wife jumps in his arms …
Jess had repressed so much feeling over the years, when Rich was deployed, to stay focused on the mission: keeping the family together.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 25 Mar. 2024
The two allies are seeking to send a strong message to Beijing that malicious cyber activities that endanger national security and seek to repress dissidents abroad are unacceptable and violate international norms, U.S. and British officials said.
—Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Nevertheless, until early 1945, Labor Zionism’s military wing, the Haganah, repressed the terrorist organization Irgun.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Having a therapist became an outlet for the musician, who also details repressed grief and trauma throughout the documentary.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024
But repressing every appetite turns out to be painful for Greg and impossible for GJ, an addict whose own desires have eaten him alive.
—Emma Copley Eisenberg, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2024
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Sep. 2023
Verb
Hoping to repress the trend, the Obama administration approved a regulation allowing colleges and universities to charge students for course materials as part of their tuition and fees.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Or maybe the violent language of photography (to shoot, to capture) evokes, on some unconscious level, the sublimated aggression of the mother-child relationship that must be repressed to maintain a viable family life.
—Meghan O'Gieblyn, WIRED, 25 Mar. 2024
Titanic is famous for James Cameron's special effects that sent hundreds of passengers realistically hurtling from the side of a giant ship, but it's mainly remembered for the timeless love story between soulful vagabond Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and repressed socialite Rose (Kate Winslet).
—Lia Beck, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2024
Here’s your story: the Green Beret coming home, and his wife jumps in his arms …
Jess had repressed so much feeling over the years, when Rich was deployed, to stay focused on the mission: keeping the family together.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 25 Mar. 2024
The two allies are seeking to send a strong message to Beijing that malicious cyber activities that endanger national security and seek to repress dissidents abroad are unacceptable and violate international norms, U.S. and British officials said.
—Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Nevertheless, until early 1945, Labor Zionism’s military wing, the Haganah, repressed the terrorist organization Irgun.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024
Having a therapist became an outlet for the musician, who also details repressed grief and trauma throughout the documentary.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024
But repressing every appetite turns out to be painful for Greg and impossible for GJ, an addict whose own desires have eaten him alive.
—Emma Copley Eisenberg, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2024
Verb
Five years later, the album was re-pressed on vinyl.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'repress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near repress
Cite this Entry
“Repress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repress. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
repress
verb
re·press
ri-ˈpres 
1
a
: to check by or as if by pressure
injustice was repressed
b
: to put down by force : subdue
2
a
: to hold in by self-control
repressed a laugh
b
: to prevent the natural or normal expression, activity, or development of
repress one's anger
3
: to shut out of consciousness
repressed a painful past
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
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