repress

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

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

   She tried hard to repress her anger during the meeting.

2. 2
   verb

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

   The government used the army to repress the rebellion.

3. 3
   verb

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

   He had repressed the memory of the accident for years.

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

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