repress

1 of 2

verb (1)

re·​press ri-ˈpres 

repressed; repressing; represses

transitive verb

1

a

: to check by or as if by pressure : curb

injustice was repressed

b

: to put down by force : subdue

repress a disturbance

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

intransitive verb

: to take repressive action

repressibility

ri-ˌpre-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

repressible

ri-ˈpre-sə-bəl 

adjective

repressive

ri-ˈpre-siv 

adjective

repressively adverb

repressiveness noun

re-press

2 of 2

verb (2)

(ˌ)rē-ˈpres 

re-pressed; re-pressing; re-presses

transitive verb

: to press again

re-press a record

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• clamp down (on)
• crack down (on)
• crush
• put down
• quash
• quell
• silence
• slap down
• snuff (out)
• squash
• squelch
• subdue
• suppress

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

Verb

The government repressed religious dissent (in particular, Catholicism) while unconscionably investing in slavery and colonization. —Bob Blaisdell, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024

With Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain, Culkin pivots to a character who’s repressing his pain just as desperately but masks it with a life-of-the-tour-group energy that is both endearing and exhausting. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024

Verb

Five years later, the album was re-pressed on vinyl. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French represser, from Latin repressus, past participle of reprimere to check, from re- + premere to press — more at press

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids 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

repressible

-ˈpres-ə-bəl 

adjective

repressive

-ˈpres-iv 

adjective

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