repressed

adjective
UK: /rɪˈprest/
US: /rɪˈprest/

  1. Forcibly restrained or held back; not expressed or allowed to be expressed.

    1. Her repressed anger started to show when he raised his voice at her.
    2. Years of repressed emotion finally surfaced during the therapy session making her feel better.

  2. In psychoanalytic theory, unconsciously kept from awareness.

    1. The patient had repressed memories of the accident that troubled him.
    2. His repressed feelings from childhood significantly influenced his adult behavior so he sought help.

Synonyms

subdued concealed restrained
repressed transitive-verb

  1. To restrain, inhibit, or subdue (someone or something).

    1. The dictator repressed all political opposition by force and violence.
    2. The new laws repressed free speech, so many journalists moved to other countries.

  2. To keep (feelings or desires) under control.

    1. She tried to repress a smile, but her happiness was too strong to hide.
    2. He unconsciously repressed any thoughts of the accident, as they were too traumatic.

  3. To prevent a thought, feeling, or desire from becoming conscious.

    1. Traumatic events can be repressed to protect someone's mental health for a while.
    2. The patient unconsciously repressed the memory of the incident to avoid the pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "repressed" in English means: Forcibly restrained or held back; not expressed or allowed to be expressed., In psychoanalytic theory, unconsciously kept from awareness..

The phonetic transcription of "repressed" is /rɪˈprest/ in British English and /rɪˈprest/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "repressed": subdued, concealed, restrained.

Example usage of "repressed": "Her repressed anger started to show when he raised his voice at her.". More examples on the page.