Meaning & use
repressing
Last updated
Restraining or holding back a feeling, impulse, or group of people by force or self-control.
See it in a sentence
She struggled to keep repressing her anger during the meeting.
The regime was accused of repressing all forms of political dissent.
A note on using this word
Repressing can describe either an internal psychological process, like holding back emotion, or an external political act of controlling people by force.
Words with a similar meaning
suppressingrestraining
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
expressingreleasing
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