First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
repress
verb re·press \ri-ˈpres\
: to not allow yourself to do or express (something)
: to not allow yourself to remember (something, such as an unpleasant event)
: to control (someone or something) by force
Full Definition of REPRESS
transitive verb
1
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
— re·press·ibil·i·ty \-ˌpre-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun
— re·press·ible \-ˈpre-sə-bəl\ adjective
— re·pres·sive \-ˈpre-siv\ adjective
— re·pres·sive·ly adverb
— re·pres·sive·ness noun
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Origin of REPRESS
Middle English, from Anglo-French represser, from Latin repressus, past participle of reprimere to check, from re- + premere to press — more at press
Related to REPRESS
- Synonyms
- clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, put down, quash, quell, silence, slap down, snuff (out), squash, squelch, subdue, suppress
Rhymes with REPRESS
abscess, access, address, aggress, assess, bench-press, caress, clothespress, coatdress, cold-press, compress, confess, cross-dress, CS, depress, de-stress, digress, distress, drill press, egress, excess, express, finesse, fluoresce, French press, full-dress, handpress, headdress, housedress, idlesse, impress, ingress, Meknes, much less, nightdress, noblesse, no less, obsess, oppress, outguess, possess, precess, prestress, princess, process, profess, progress, recess, redress, regress, re-press, shirtdress, side-dress, SS, success, sundress, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, undress, unless, web press, winepress, word stress
REPRESSIBILITY Defined for Kids
repress
verb re·press \ri-ˈpres\
re·pressedre·press·ing
Definition of REPRESS for Kids
: to hold in check by or as if by pressure <On seeing his haircut, I had to repress a laugh.>
Medical Dictionary
repress
transitive verb re·press \ri-ˈpres\
Medical Definition of REPRESS
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
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