suppress

verb

sup·​press sə-ˈpres 

suppressed; suppressing; suppresses

transitive verb

1

: to put down by authority or force : subdue

suppress a riot

2

: to keep from public knowledge: such as

a

: to keep secret

b

: to stop or prohibit the publication or revelation of

suppress the test results

3

a

: to exclude from consciousness

b

: to keep from giving vent to : check

suppressed her anger

4

obsolete : to press down

5

a

: to restrain from a usual course or action

suppress a cough

b

: to inhibit the growth or development of

6

: to inhibit the genetic expression of

suppress a mutation

suppressibility

sə-ˌpre-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

suppressible

sə-ˈpre-sə-bəl 

adjective

suppressive

sə-ˈpre-siv 

adjective

suppressiveness

sə-ˈpre-siv-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of suppress

• stifle
• censor
• cover (up)
• silence
• hush (up)

Examples of suppress in a Sentence

Political dissent was brutally suppressed.

The governor tried to suppress the news.

He struggled to suppress his feelings of jealousy.

She could not suppress her anger.

I had to suppress an urge to tell him what I really thought.

Recent Examples on the Web

At scale, the petty-minded bureaucrats implementing an agenda to sanitize American history, and to erase or suppress political dissent, have committed and will continue to commit a great deal of mischief. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 12 May 2026

Florida Forest Service Senior Forester Michelle Danielson said aerial crews from the Broward Sheriff's Office and the National Guard assisted with water drops to help suppress the fire and protect nearby communities. —Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 12 May 2026

An El Niño is expected to form in the weeks ahead, with influences on the atmosphere that could suppress some of the hurricane activity in the Atlantic, and spawn a busier season in the Pacific. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 12 May 2026

Local leaders say changes in water flow have also contributed to the crisis, with freshwater now dominating areas where saltwater once helped suppress or kill Hydrilla verticillata. —ABC News, 12 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin suppressus, past participle of supprimere, from sub- + premere to press — more at press

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for suppress

• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess

Kids Definition

suppress

verb

sup·​press sə-ˈpres 

1

: to put down by authority or force

suppress a rebellion

2

a

: to keep from being known

tried to suppress the news

b

: to stop the publication or distribution of

suppressed the test results

3

: to hold back : repress

suppress feelings of jealousy

suppressed a cough

4

: to slow or stop the growth or development of : stunt

suppressible

-ə-bəl 

adjective

suppression

-ˈpresh-ən

noun

suppressive

-ˈpres-iv 

adjective

suppressor

-ˈpres-ər

noun

Medical Definition

suppress

transitive verb

sup·​press sə-ˈpres 

1

: to exclude from consciousness

suppressed anxiety

2

: to restrain from a usual course or action

suppress a cough

3

: inhibit sense 2

suppresses the human immune response

—Josie Glausiusz

especially : to inhibit the genetic expression of

suppress a mutation

suppressibility

-ˌpres-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural suppressibilities

suppressible

-ˈpres-ə-bəl 

adjective

Legal Definition

suppress

transitive verb

sup·​press sə-ˈpres 

1

: to put down by authority or force

2

a

: to keep secret

b

: to stop or prohibit the publication or revelation of

3

a

: to exclude (illegally obtained evidence) from use at trial

suppress narcotics found in violation of the right against unreasonable search and seizure

b

: to fail to disclose (material evidence favorable to a defendant) in violation of due process

accused the prosecution of suppressing evidence

compare brady material

intransitive verb

: to suppress evidence

suppressible adjective

suppression

-ˈpre-shən 

noun