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.
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
“Song of Back and Neck” tells the story of a paralegal who has repressed so much frustration that his anger has manifested in the form of chronic back and neck pain.
From New York Times ● Nov. 29, 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
He can’t let himself feel the vulnerability that comes with love because if he felt that then he’d have to feel all the vulnerabilities he has repressed throughout his life.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2012
This child's play of the heart, Which sterner duty has repressed in me, Makes even captives bold.
From Tecumseh : a Drama by Charles Mair
