Synonyms of repressed

repressed 1 of 2

adjective

ri-ˈprest 

as in muted

not excessively showy

a 19th-century church in the repressed style favored by the strict religious sect

Synonyms & Similar Words

• muted
• restrained
• subdued
• quiet
• conservative
• understated
• proper
• sober
• fitting
• appropriate
• low-key
• simple
• unpretentious
• suitable
• handsome
• becoming
• toned-down
• modest
• unflashy
• plain
• unadorned
• fit
• undecorated
• graceful
• inconspicuous
• sensible
• unobtrusive
• drab
• unnoticeable
• practical
• tasteful
• refined
• mousy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loud
• flamboyant
• noisy
• gaudy
• garish
• flaring
• ostentatious
• flashy
• swank
• glitzy
• vulgar
• splashy
• meretricious
• tawdry
• tacky
• tasteless
• trashy
• gilded
• baroque
• inelegant
• fancy
• ornate
• graceless
• overwrought
• rococo
• razzle-dazzle
• frilly
• overdecorated
• overdone

repressed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of repress

1

as in suppressed

to put a stop to (something) by the use of force

quickly repressed the rebellion in the provincial city and restored order

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suppressed
• quelled
• subdued
• silenced
• stifled
• crushed
• quashed
• sat on
• squashed
• destroyed
• squelched
• extinguished
• overcame
• snuffed (out)
• slapped down
• clamped down (on)
• cracked down (on)
• put down
• throttled
• quenched
• demolished
• obliterated
• smothered
• ruined
• subjugated
• dominated
• strangled
• wrecked
• decimated
• doused
• exterminated
• wasted
• annihilated
• put out
• overwhelmed
• vanquished
• wiped out
• conquered
• devastated
• smashed
• desolated
• overpowered
• nuked
• rubbed out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• supported
• helped
• assisted
• aided
• backed
• provoked
• stirred
• abetted
• encouraged
• whipped (up)
• propped up
• cultivated
• instigated
• promoted
• fostered
• incited
• advanced
• nurtured
• forwarded
• fomented
• furthered
• nourished

2

as in stifled

to refrain from openly showing or uttering

you can't repress your feelings forever, so tell her how you feel about her

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stifled
• suppressed
• swallowed
• submerged
• controlled
• smothered
• contained
• strangled
• choked (back)
• held back
• managed
• governed
• pocketed
• sank
• curbed
• quashed
• checked
• quelled
• muffled
• bridled
• squelched
• bottled up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expressed
• released
• took out
• unleashed
• vented
• loosed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of repressed

Adjective

Sigmund Freud wrote that dreams were a kind of acting-out of repressed impulses. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

Maybe a repressed emotion or unresolved ending still haunts you. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026

Verb

The government of husband-and-wife copresidents, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, has been carrying out an all-out crackdown on dissent since mass social protests in 2018 that the government violently repressed. — ABC News, 10 July 2026

Typically, ghosts show up in literature when something that has been repressed escapes and becomes everyone’s problem. — Sarah Schulman, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026