Repress

Definitions: Repress

Repress

Verb

1. Put down by force or intimidation; "The government quashes any attempt of an uprising"; "China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently"; "The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land".

2. Put out of one's consciousness; in psychiatry.

Date "repress" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1380. (references)

Domain	Definitions
Metallurgy	A machine for pressing stiff or soft clay blanks into brick shapes. Source: European Union. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Repress

Synonyms: keep down (v), quash (v), reduce (v), subdue (v), subjugate (v), suppress (v). (additional references)

Context	Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).
Counteraction	Verb: counteract; run counter, clash, cross; interfere with, conflict with; contravene; jostle; go against, run against, beat against, militate against; stultify; antagonize, block, oppose; traverse; withstand; (resist); hinder; repress; (restrain); react; (recoil).
Dejection	Refrain from laughter, keep one's countenance; be grave, look grave; Adjective: repress a smile.
Dissuasion	Disincline, indispose, shake, stagger; dispirit; discourage, dishearten; deter; repress, hold back, keep back; (restrain); render averse; repel; turn aside; (deviation); wean from; act as a drag; (hinder); throw cold water on, damp, cool, chill, blunt, calm, quiet, quench; deprecate.
Excitability	Compose, appease; (moderate); propitiate; repress; (restrain); render insensible; overcome one's excitability, allay one's excitability, repress one's excitability; master one's feelings.
Restraint	Keep under; repress, suppress; smother; pull in, rein in; hold, hold fast; keep a tight hand on; prohibit; inhibit, cohibit.
Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

Crosswords: Repress

English words defined with "repress": clamp down, crack down ♦ irrepressible ♦ To take order with ♦ uncontrollable. (references)

Author	Quotation
Horace	My liver swells with bile difficult to repress.
John Enoch Powell	When I repress my emotion my stomach keeps score.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Author	Date	Quotation
The Emancipation Proclamation	1862	Whereas on the 22nd day of September, A.D. 1862, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit: "That on the 1st day of January, A.D. 1863, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom." (Abraham Lincoln)
Treaty of Versailles	1919	Germany undertakes to prohibit and repress by seizure and by other appropriate remedies the importation, exportation, manufacture, distribution, sale or offering for sale in its territory of all goods bearing upon themselves or their usual get-up or wrappings any marks, names, devices, or description whatsoever which are calculated to convey directly or indirectly a false indication of the origin, type, nature, or special characteristics of such goods. (reference)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Title	Author	Quote
Les Miserables	Hugo, Victor	On hearing this name spoken, Monsieur Madeleine could not repress a disagreeable impression.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Subject	Topic	Quote
Civil Liberties	Morocco	Domestic critics and human rights activists have long criticized such provisions that widely are perceived to repress and stifle freedom of expression. (references)
	Malaysia	The Special Rapporteur stated that the Internal Security Act, the Sedition Act, and the Printing Presses and Publications Act were used to suppress or repress expression and curb peaceful assembly. (references)
Economic History	China	Most foreign investors in China believe that the chances of political violence are low because the government is able and willing to repress any sizeable anti-government protests. (references)
Human Rights	Bangladesh	Kabir's supporters have been referring to his arrest as a conspiracy to repress the Hindu minority. (references)
Political Economy	Vietnam	The Government continued to repress basic political and some religious freedoms and abuses by the Government increased. (references)
	Burma	Up until late last year, the regime continued to harshly repress the National League for Democracy (NLD), Burma's largest opposition party, and attack its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in the state-controlled press. (references)
Political Rights	Saudi Arabia	The Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights (CDLR), an opposition group, was established in 1993. The Government acted almost immediately to repress it. In 1994 one of its founding members, Mohammed Al-Masari, fled to the United Kingdom, where he sought political asylum and established an overseas branch of the CDLR. In 1996 internal divisions within the CDLR led to the creation of the rival Islamic Reform Movement (IRM), headed by Sa'ad Al-Faqih. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Speaker	Term	Phrase(s)
James Madison	1809-1817	In closing this communication I ought not to repress a sensibility, in which you will unite, to the happy lot of our country and to the goodness of a superintending Providence, to which we are indebted for it.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

"Repress" is generally used as a lexical verb (infinitive) -- approximately 80.90% of the time. "Repress" is used about 89 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Lexical Verb (infinitive)	80.9%	72	39,377
Lexical Verb (base form)	16.85%	15	90,616
Unclassified Items	1.12%	1	339,140
Noun (singular)	1.12%	1	339,140
Total	100.00%	89	N/A

The following table summarizes the usage of "repress" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified.

Name	Usage/Gender	Usage per 100 million Persons	Rank in USA
Repress	Last name	130	60,832
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

Expressions using "repress": repress a smile ♦ repress one's excitability ♦ repress one's feelings. Additional references.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Language		Translations for "repress"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		shtyp (bruise, clench, compact, crush, Dent, depress, die, grind, newspapers, oppress, organ, override, pestle, pound, press, print, push down, quash, quell, run down, run over, scotch, squash, squeeze, stamp, step, strike off, suppress, swat, trample, trample down, triturate, type, tyrannize), përmbaj (carry, check, choke, comprise, constrain, contain, control, Cork, detain, deter, embrace, feature, gulp, hold, hold back, hold in, include, incorporate, pocket, restock, restrain, stay). (various references)

Arabic		‏كتم (conceal, concealment, harbor, harbour, hide, hiding, restrain, secrete, subdue, suppress, withhold), ‏كظم (repression, stifle), ‏كبت (bridle, check, contain, down, hold, hold back, inhibit, inhibition, keep, keep back, repression, restrain, restraint, stifle, subdue, suppress, suppression, withhold), ‏كبح (arrest, bridle, check, contain, control, curb, hamper, hinder, hold, hold back, inhibit, inhibition, keep back, keep down, keep under control, leash, master, press, prevent, rein, repression, restrain, restraint, steady, subdual, subdue, suppress, suppression, tame, withhold), ‏قمع (bridle, check, crush, funnel, put down, quash, quell, repression, restrain, stamp down, subdue, suppress, suppression), ‏سيطر (boss, command, control, dominate, govern, grip, keep, master, overcome, overpower, possess, predominate, reign, rule, sew up, take control, wield). (various references)

Bulgarian		сподавям (stifle, strangle), сдържам (command, contain, guard, pocket, press back, restrain, smother, stifle, suppress), възпирам (control, debar, deter, enchain, interdict, prohibit, restrain, retain, stay, swaddle), ограничавам (bound, chasten, circumscribe, constrain, contract, focalize, hem, immure, intern, limit, localise, localize, narrow, peg down, pinch, qualify, reduce, restrict, specialize, straiten, tie down, trammel), обуздавам (bit, bridle, chastise, curb, hamshackle, harness, leash, manage, quell, rein in, restrain, school, smother, steady), потъпквам (mortify, stamp out, suppress, trample on, tread down, tread out, tread under, violate), потушавам (clamp, extinguish, mortify, overbear, put down, put out, quash, quell, quench, smother, snuff out, squash, strangle, subdue, suppress, tread down), потискам (clamp, depress, domineer, drive back, flatten, get down, grind, gripe, inhibit, mope, muffle, oppress, persecute, pocket, press in, prey, quell, quench, suppress, throttle, tyrannize, weigh down), подтискам (constrict, grind down, gulp, oppress, restrain, suppress, weight down). (various references)

Chinese		抑制 (repressed, repressing, repression), 挫 (be obstructed, bend back, dampen, end, fail, final stage, latter part, lower the tone, oppress), 摧 (break, destroy, devastate, ravage), 弭 (to stop). (various references)

Czech		utlaèovat (hold down, oppress), utiskovat (oppress, rack, tyrannize), potlaèit (contain, cork up, crush, fight down, hold back, hold in, inhibit, keep in, mince, put down, quash, quell, quench, scotch, smother, snuff out, stamp out, stifle, stop, subdue, suppress, tame). (various references)

Danish		presse for murstensfremstilling. (various references)

Dutch		persmachine. (various references)

Farsi		فرونشاندن (Appease, Calm, Curb, Extinguish, Infix, Lull, Pacify, Quash, Quell, Quench, Relieve, Remit, Sate, Slack, Soften, Stanch, Stifle, Suppress, Tranquilize), سرکوب کردن , درخودکوفتن , بازفشردن , بازکوفتن . (various references)

Finnish		jälkipuristuskone. (various references)

French		refouler (repel, repulse), réprimer (restrain, retain), machine � repasser, maîtriser (rein in, restrain), contenir (restrain), étouffer. (various references)

German		unterdrücken (blanking, choke back, clamp down on, eliminate, fight back, fight down, hold back, hold down, hold under, inhibit, keep back, keep down, oppress, put down, quash, quell, restrain, shut out, sit on, suppress, throttle, to eliminate, to oppress, to repress, to suppress). (various references)

Greek		καταστέλλω (suppress), πρέσσα τούβλων. (various references)

Hebrew		ל�"�"חיק (compel, force), ל�"בלי�' (forbear, restrain). (various references)

Hungarian		elnyom (ground, oppress, overwhelm, quell, quench, ride, throttle, to bully, to coerce, to drown out, to grain down, to grain sg under one's heel, to grind, to hold down, to inhibit, to keep down, to keep under, to mask, to overwhelm, to put down, to quash, to repress, to stifle, to suppress, to tread down, to victimize, trample), elfojt (Burke, close down, damp, deafen, extinguish, quench, smother, suppress, to bottle, to bottle up, to check, to curb, to damp, to deaden, to drown out, to inhibit, to mask, to put down, to quash, to quell, to repress, to silence, to smother, to stifle, to strangle, to strangulate, to subdue, to suppress, to tame, to throttle down, to wad). (various references)

Indonesian		menindas (oppress, quash), membendung (dam, dam up, stem), memasung (muzzle). (various references)

Italian		reprimere (inhibit, put down, quash, quell, restrain, smother, squelch, suppress). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		押さえ付ける (to hold down, to pin down, to press down, to repress), 押さえる (to press down, to repress, to restrain, to seize, to stop, to suppress), 押えつける (to hold down, to pin down, to press down, to repress), 押え付ける (to hold down, to pin down, to press down, to repress), 押える (to press down, to repress, to restrain, to seize, to stop, to suppress), 抑圧 (depress, depression, repress vs, repression), 抑え付ける (to hold down, to pin down, to press down, to repress). (various references)

Japanese Katakana		おさえつける (to hold down, to pin down, to press down, to repress), おさえる (to arrest, to check, to control, to curb, to press down, to repress, to restrain, to seize, to stop, to suppress). (various references)

Manx		streeanaghey, cur haart (overthrow, vanquish), cur fo smaght (bring under, discipline, subject). (various references)

Pig Latin		epressray

Portuguese		reprimir (allay, arrest, bit, bridle, check, coerce, constrain, control, Cork, dove, forbear, gulp, halt, keep back, keep down, overbear, quell, quench, refrain, rein in, restrain, stifle, stop, subdue, suppress, throttle, tutor, vanquish), refrear (bit, bottle, bridle, coerce, curb, refrain, restrain, rule, tutor), recalcar, dominar (come over, command, conquer, control, cover, dominate, domineer, enthral, enthrall, govern, have command of, lick, live through, lord's day, manage, master, outmatch, overbear, overcome, overmaster, overpass, overpower, quell, rein, rein in, restrain, rule, subdue, subject, subjugate, surmount, vanquish, wield), calcar (crush, pound, press, pump, ram, trample, trample on, tread, tread on). (various references)

Romanian		reprima (quash, quell, suppress), refula (suppress), comprima (compress, condense, constrain, curb, hold, jam, pack, sack, squash). (various references)

Russian		подавлять (bring under, browbeat, depress, grind, keep down, mortify, overbear, overpower, put down, quash, quell, quench, smother, stifle, subdue, suppress, whelm). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		ugušiti (asphyxiate, burke, choke, muffle, nip, quash, quell, scotch, smother, squash, stall, stifle, strangle, suffocate, suppress, throttle), suzbiti (bound, stamp out), potisnuti (expel, hold at bay, push down, relegate, throw back, upstage), ograničiti (confine, constrain, delimit, delimitate, limit, localise, localize, restrict, stint, tie up). (various references)

Spanish		reprimir (bridle, check, control, fight down, govern, keep back, put down, quash, quell, restrain, rule, suppress). (various references)

Swedish		undertrycka (hold down, inhibit, keep down, keep under, quell, quench, restrain, smother, subdue, subjugate, suppress). (various references)

Turkish		içine atmak (endure in silence, gulp, gulp down, throw into), bastırmak (allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, bear against, beat down, bottle up, Burke, choke, compress, crucify, depress, drown, extinguish, flow, gulp, gulp down, hold down, keep down, keep in, keep under, outtalk, overbear, overtake, pocket, push down, put down, quash, quell, quench, restrain, set in, settle, settle in, silence, smother, smother up, squash, squelch, stamp, stifle, strangle, subdue, submerge, suppress, swallow, throttle back, throttle down, weigh, weigh down, whelm, whip), baskılamak (choke, hold down, pressure), baskı altında tutmak (coerce, concuss, press smb. close, restrain), önlemek (arrest, avert, avoid, baffle, bank, circumvent, counterwork, estop, face up to, foil, foreclose, forestall, frustrate, get under control, head off, intercept, jugulate, keep back, obviate, occlude, preclude, prevent, prevent from, prohibit, stay, suppress, thwart, ward, ward off). (various references)

Ukranian		репресувати, пригнічувати (aggrieve, cast down, deject, depress, downcast, flatten, hold down, hold under, oppress, tread down, yoke), придушувати (deject, depress, neutralize, outray, overgo, put down, quash, quell, quench, stamp out, strangle, suppress). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Language	Period	Translations
Latin	500 BCE-Modern	coercere, coercitus, coercui, cohibebant, cohibebo, cohibeo, cohibere, cohibita, compescor, confuto, depresserant, deprime, deprimebant, deprimentes, deprimentium, deprimeris, refutare, refuto, retunsae, retunsum. (various references)
Old French	900-1400	refraigner. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Derivations
	Words beginning with "repress": repressed, represses, repressibilities, repressibility, repressible, repressing, repression, repressionist, repressions, repressive, repressively, repressiveness, repressivenesses, repressor, repressors, repressurize, repressurized, repressurizes, repressurizing. (additional references)
	Words ending with "repress": derepress. (additional references)
	Words containing "repress": corepressor, corepressors, derepressed, derepresses, derepressing, derepression, derepressions, irrepressibilities, irrepressibility, irrepressible, irrepressibly, unrepressed. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Repress" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: epress, repre, repres, represe, represess, repressa, repsess. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "repress" (pronounced rēpre"s)
4	-p r e" s	depress, express, impress, oppress, press, suppress.
3	-r e" s	aggress, cress, digress, distress, dress, egress, ers, fluoresce, redress, stress, transgress, tress, undress.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Direct Anagrams: presser.
	Words within the letters "e-e-p-r-r-s-s"
	-1 letter: perses, speers, sprees.
	-2 letters: erses, peers, perse, prees, prese, press, seeps, seers, serer, seres, speer, spree.
	-3 letters: errs, eses, peer, pees, pree, rees, reps, seep, seer, sees, sere, sers.
	-4 letters: ere, err, ers, ess, pee, per, pes, ree, rep, res, see, ser.
	-5 letters: er, es, pe, re.
	Words containing the letters "e-e-p-r-r-s-s"
	+1 letter: asperser, perusers, pressers, pressure, presters, priseres, reposers, reprises, respires, spearers.
	+2 letters: aspersers, depressor, derepress, disperser, expresser, persister, perspires, pesterers, prerinses, presagers, prescores, preserves, presiders, pressured, pressures, prestress, presumers, reexpress, relapsers, rephrases, repressed, represses, repressor, reprocess, repulsers, repursues, reshapers, respreads, simperers, spreaders.
	+3 letters: depressors, despairers, dispersers, expressers, impressure, perseveres, persisters, persuaders, plasterers, portresses, precensors, precreases, preprocess, presbyters, prescreens, prescribes, presenters, preservers, pressurise, pressurize, prioresses, progressed, progresses, properness, protesters, reinspires, replasters, represents, repressing, repression, repressive, repressors, reserpines, respecters, responders, sharpeners, spermaries, sputterers, superraces, superseder, superstore, trespasser, whisperers.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.