-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
1
: subjected to or marked by repression
2
: characterized by restraint
Synonyms
Examples of repressed in a Sentence
a 19th-century church in the repressed style favored by the strict religious sect
Recent Examples on the Web
Whether via impulsive eldest son Nate (Peter Krause), anxious middle son David (Michael C. Hall), artsy little sister Claire (Lauren Ambrose), or their repressed mother Ruth (Frances Conroy), the struggles the Fishers face are almost painfully relatable.
—Kevin Jacobsen and Sarah Perchikoff, EW.com, 21 May 2024
The Shadow Work Journal, inspired by the work of psychoanalyst Carl Jung, is a collection of exercises, prompts and activities that, as author explains, can help readers get in touch with repressed parts of their psyches.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
But a few protests have been repressed, according to rights groups and witnesses, and dozens of protesters have been arrested, including a group of 13 in the city of Sale and an activist named Abdul Rahman Zankad, who had criticized Morocco’s normalization agreement with Israel on Facebook.
—Emad Mekay, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2024
Edwin, who died in 1916, is formal, reserved, repressed and orderly.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
And tensions are high in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where electoral protests have been violently repressed.
—Sarah Khan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2024
Benzion’s arrival heralds, for Blum, the return of the repressed.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024
Yew’s direction is artfully restrained, as keeping with the novel and its highly repressed characters.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024
Two common solutions were the fear of pregnancy and the repressed desire for fellatio.
—Anna Shechtman, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'repressed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near repressed
Cite this Entry
“Repressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repressed. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
repressed
adjective
re·pressed
ri-ˈprest
1
: subjected to or marked by repression
a repressed child
2
: characterized by a keeping in check
Medical Definition
repressed
adjective
re·pressed
ri-ˈprest
: subjected to or marked by repression
a repressed child
repressed anger
More from Merriam-Webster on repressed
Nglish: Translation of repressed for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of repressed for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share