MEANING
1. To hold back an impulse, feeling, sound, or action instead of allowing it to appear.
2. To stop information, a group, or an idea from being expressed or circulated, often by authority.
Use it for
Show someone hiding a response they still feel.Describe either an inwardly restrained reaction or an outside effort to silence information, dissent, or a voice.
Words that belong together
- suppress a laugh
- suppress anger
- suppress a cough
- suppress evidence
- suppress dissent
- suppress a report
On the page
She suppressed a laugh when the headmaster praised the broken clock.
The council suppressed the report until the inquiry was complete.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- suppress
- Past tense
- suppressed
- Past participle
- suppressed
- Present participle
- suppressing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- suppress
- Present continuous
- am/is/are suppressing
- Present perfect
- have/has suppressed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been suppressing
- Past
- suppressed
- Past continuous
- was/were suppressing
- Past perfect
- had suppressed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been suppressing
- Future
- will suppress
- Future continuous
- will be suppressing
- Future perfect
- will have suppressed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been suppressing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
The personal sense suggests deliberate restraint; suppressing a feeling does not mean resolving it. Sense 2: This sense often implies concealment or forceful control; do not use it for an ordinary delay.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.