Suppressed

/səˈprɛst/

verbmedium📊CommonGeneral
3 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

3 meanings
1

To forcibly put an end to; to subdue; to restrain.

/səˈprɛst/

verbnegativemedium
General

To forcibly put an end to something.

The dictator suppressed all forms of dissent.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to hide a giggle. Suppressing is like holding it back, or stopping something from happening. Like, the government suppressed the protest, making it stop. Or you suppressed your desire for ice cream to eat healthy.

👶 For kids: To stop something from happening or being shown.

More Examples

2

He tried to suppress his cough during the meeting.

3

The company suppressed evidence of the environmental damage.

How It's Used

Politics

"The government suppressed the protests with military force."

Psychology

"She suppressed her anger, trying not to cause a scene."

2

To prevent the publication, circulation, or expression of; to censor.

/səˈprɛst/

verbnegativemedium
Literature

To prevent the expression or publication of something.

The government suppressed the truth about the scandal.

💡 Simply: Imagine a newspaper not printing a story. That's suppressing – stopping information from getting out. Governments sometimes suppress news or history to hide things.

👶 For kids: To stop something from being shared or told.

More Examples

2

The company suppressed information about the product's safety issues.

3

The editor suppressed the author's controversial views.

How It's Used

Media

"The media suppressed the story due to legal concerns."

History

"Many historical records were suppressed to control the narrative."

Tip:Think of putting a lid on something, keeping it from being seen or heard.
3

To hold back from activity or expression; to reduce or stop the activity or growth of something.

/səˈprɛst/

verbneutralmedium
Medical

To hold back or control.

The medication suppressed the immune system.

💡 Simply: Like medicine suppressing a cough – stopping the urge to cough. It's like the brake on a car. It stops or slows down the action. Similarly, a medicine can suppress an immune response, that means it reduces the immune response.

👶 For kids: To stop something from doing what it usually does.

More Examples

2

The cold weather suppressed the growth of the plants.

3

The drug suppressed her appetite.

How It's Used

Medicine

"The medication suppressed the body's immune response."

Biology

"The drought suppressed plant growth."

Tip:Imagine pressing down on a spring, keeping it from expanding.

Idioms & expressions

Suppress one's anger

To control and hide one's feelings of anger.

"He tried to suppress his anger, but his voice still trembled."

From Latin *suppressus*, past participle of *supprimere* 'to press down, restrain', from *sub* 'under' + *premere* 'to press'.

The word 'suppressed' has been used historically to describe actions by rulers and governments to control populations or control narratives by silencing opposition or controlling information.

Memory tip

Think of pressing down on something to stop it from rising or spreading.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to press down, restrain"

suppress a revoltsuppress informationsuppress dissentsuppress an appetitesuppress anger

Common misspellings

supressedsuppresed

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written