repressed

1 of 2

adjective

re·​pressed ri-ˈprest How to pronounce repressed (audio)
Synonyms of repressednext
1
: subjected to or marked by repression
2
: characterized by restraint

repressed

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of repress

Synonyms of repressed

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Adjective

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Examples of repressed in a Sentence

Adjective a 19th-century church in the repressed style favored by the strict religious sect
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Adjective
As opposed to infantile regression, the oceanic feeling can also be understood as a means of recapturing a repressed sense of relation, connection, affinities. — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 The 1996 drama saw Watson play Bess McNeill, a young woman living in a repressed, deeply religious community in the north of Scotland. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Sigmund Freud wrote that dreams were a kind of acting-out of repressed impulses. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 18 Aug. 2026 Maybe a repressed emotion or unresolved ending still haunts you. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for repressed

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of repressed was in 1606

Rhymes for repressed

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re-press
repressed
repressed inflation
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Cite this Entry

“Repressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repressed. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

repressed

adjective
re·​pressed ri-ˈprest How to pronounce repressed (audio)
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 How to pronounce repressed (audio)
: subjected to or marked by repression
a repressed child
repressed anger
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