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

These effects reflect what’s currently active in the mind, not necessarily hidden or repressed thoughts. — Karen Stollznow, The Conversation, 14 July 2026

Director Brian De Palma cemented our cultural awareness of Carrie with his 1976 classic, starring Sissy Spacek as the repressed Carrie White and Piper Laurie as her religious fanatic mother, Margaret. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 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