repress
verb (used with object)
to keep under control, check, or suppress (desires, feelings, actions, tears, etc.).
has repressed
-
present perfectof repress (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And now it feels like the whole nation has repressed it, has refused to acknowledge how bad it was.
From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2025
First as a dutiful daughter, then as a wife, mother and teacher, Nancy has repressed her own desires her entire life; in less capable hands, she’d come off as pinched or pathetic.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 15, 2022
No pope, however, has visited North Korea, whose totalitarian government has repressed religious activities and promotes a personality cult around Mr. Kim, his father and grandfather.
From New York Times ● Oct. 18, 2018
When he sparks an attraction with a man in a bar, he decides to explore his feelings, which he has repressed in the past.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 7, 2016
Only an old stick like me, who has repressed everything, lives to tell the tale.
From Captivity by M. Leonora Eyles
