repress

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɹəˈpɹɛs/ See IPA manual

Freq #32289

Meanings

1

verb
To stop yourself from showing or feeling an emotion or desire.

She tried hard to repress her anger during the meeting.
2

verb
To control a group of people or stop a protest by force.

The government used the army to repress the rebellion.
3

verb
To push painful thoughts or memories out of your conscious mind.

He had repressed the memory of the accident for years.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to stop yourself from... suppress check curb contain stifle

2 verb · to control a group of... crushput downquell subdue suppress

3 verb · to push painful thoughts or... bury

Word family

Forms repressedrepressesrepressing

Derived forms autorepresscorepressderepressrepressibilityrepressiblerepressmenttransrepress

Related forms repressionrepressiverepressor

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin repressus, the perfect passive participle of reprimō (“to repress”).

repressus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# repress

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɹəˈpɹɛs/
**Frequency rank:** 32289

## Meanings
1. To stop yourself from showing or feeling an emotion or desire.
2. To control a group of people or stop a protest by force.
3. To push painful thoughts or memories out of your conscious mind.

## Examples
- She tried hard to repress her anger during the meeting.
- The government used the army to repress the rebellion.
- He had repressed the memory of the accident for years.

## Derived Forms
- autorepress
- corepress
- derepress
- repressibility
- repressible
- repressment
- transrepress

## Related Forms
- repression
- repressive
- repressor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: repressus

## Etymology
Ultimately from Latin repressus, the perfect passive participle of reprimō (“to repress”).

## AI Etymology
Repress ultimately from Latin repressus, the perfect passive participle of reprimō (“to repress”). Modern senses include to stop yourself from showing or feeling an emotion or desire. and to control a group of people or stop a protest by force.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as autorepress, corepress, derepress, repressibility, repressible, and repressment and related forms such as repression, repressive, and repressor.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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