Meaning & use
repress
To restrain or hold back a feeling, action, or expression, often forcibly.
See it in a sentence
He tried to repress his laughter during the solemn ceremony.
The regime worked to repress any public criticism of its policies.
A note on using this word
Repress often implies pushing something down against its natural tendency, whether an emotion, a memory, or political dissent.
Words with a similar meaning
suppressrestrain
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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