To repress means to forcefully hold something back or keep it under control, often something that naturally wants to come out. When you repress a laugh during a serious moment, you're trying hard not to let it escape. When you repress anger, you push it down inside instead of expressing it.

Governments sometimes repress their citizens by restricting freedoms like speech or assembly, using force to prevent people from protesting or speaking out. A repressive government might ban newspapers, jail critics, or forbid certain gatherings.

The word can also describe holding back feelings or memories. Psychologists talk about how people sometimes repress painful memories, unconsciously pushing them so far down that they can't easily remember them. Similarly, someone might repress emotions like sadness or fear, bottling them up rather than dealing with them.

Repressing isn't the same as simply controlling yourself. When you choose to wait your turn to speak, that's self-control. But when you forcefully push down feelings because you're afraid or uncomfortable with them, that's repression. The word suggests using force or pressure to keep something contained, whether that something is your own emotions, other people's actions, or a memory trying to resurface.