repressed 1 of 2

adjective

ri-ˈprest How to pronounce repressed (audio)
Definition of repressednext
as in muted
not excessively showy a 19th-century church in the repressed style favored by the strict religious sect

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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

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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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of repressed
Adjective
He’s played by Grégoire Colin, one of the great modern French actors, whose onscreen persona combines unrelieved woundedness with barely repressed violence. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 June 2026 Zhang, delivering his first fully Cantonese-language performance on the big screen, portrays a repressed small-time man caught between competing versions of reality. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 June 2026
Verb
His arrest came during a years-long crackdown on civil society and dissent, which began following mass protests in 2018 that the government violently repressed. — Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026 Even before the war began, hardship and inflation provoked nationwide protests that were brutally repressed. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for repressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repressed
  1. muted
  2. suppressed
  3. stifled
  4. restrained
  5. quelled
  6. swallowed
  7. subdued
  8. quiet
Adjective
  • Despite the film’s slow-cinema touches, its storytelling structure and emotionality — even though muted and quiet — recall instead the melodrama at its most facile.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 25 July 2026
  • Anger was further fueled by what was perceived as a muted response from the government about the protesters demands, which included compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after the exam paper leaks.
    — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 24 July 2026
Definition of muted
Verb
  • Tunick’s lawyers have filed a motion with the court asking that all evidence from the interrogation, including the use of the duress code, be suppressed due to violation of his constitutional rights.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
  • Paul got his wish when the Cavs swapped Garland for Harden despite Garland’s suppressed trade value.
    — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of suppressed
Verb
  • What’s less arguable is the quality of Kinnear’s performance, a fine study in comic understatement at first that modulates into a delicately limned portrait of pain barely stifled.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
  • While some economists express pessimism about future growth due to diminishing returns, Nobel laureates like Joel Mokyr and Philippe Aghion remain optimistic, arguing new technologies like AI enable exponential progress if innovation isn't stifled.
    — Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of stifled
Adjective
  • Where Heron feels restrained and almost surgical, Hornbill is shaped for users who want more contact with the handle, more leverage through the cut, and a stronger physical presence without moving into oversized tactical-knife territory.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 July 2026
  • Drewchin operates in this more restrained mode throughout the record, peeling back the layers of her dizzying art pop.
    — Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026
Definition of restrained
Verb
  • As the activist Assata Olugbala Shakur remarks, the chains of oppression can be broken with love, support, and care, and the Black radical imagination cannot be quelled even when our lives are on the line.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
  • If anyone was worried about a lack of personality from SEC coaches this coming season, their fears were likely quelled during SEC Media Days this week.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of quelled
Verb
  • Experts have ruled out lead toxicity and swallowed objects, but a diagnosis remains elusive.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Small firms that can’t, or won’t, will get swallowed by larger companies that can.
    — Ethan Karp, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of swallowed
Adjective
  • Without them, some would feel even bigger, more raw and dramatic, but others — especially in America, where many neutrals came specifically for the spectacle rather than for either team — could feel subdued and forgotten.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Obviously, the talking-points from Kiffin will be interesting to monitor, though the Tigers head coach seems to be more subdued in person compared to his social media presence.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of subdued
Adjective
  • My favorite way to spend an afternoon, though, was borrowing one of the hotel's bicycles and pedaling around South of Fifth, where quiet residential streets quickly give way to cafés, the marina, and the fun buzz of Ocean Drive.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
  • For gardens, Shosei-en is a quiet surprise so close to Kyoto Station that most visitors walk right past it, a strolling garden of ponds, bridges, and teahouses that makes a perfect first or last stop in the city.
    — Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of quiet

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Cite this Entry

“Repressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repressed. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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