Suppress vs. Repress — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 7, 2024
Suppress involves consciously holding back or stopping something, often used in contexts of actions or expressions, while repress implies unconsciously burying thoughts, feelings, or desires, typically in psychological terms.
Difference Between Suppress and Repress
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Suppress and repress both deal with the act of holding back or controlling something, but they differ mainly in the level of awareness and the context in which they are used. To suppress something is to consciously and intentionally prevent it from being expressed or known. On the other hand, repress is more commonly used in psychological contexts to describe the unconscious process of pushing undesirable thoughts, memories, feelings, or desires out of conscious awareness.
In social or political contexts, suppression can manifest as efforts by authorities or groups to control or quell dissent, protest, or opposition, often through forceful or authoritative means. Repression, in these contexts, might still be used but typically refers to the psychological impact of such suppressive actions on individuals or communities, leading to internalized fear or self-censorship.
Suppress can also be used in more practical or benign contexts, such as suppressing noise or suppressing a chemical reaction, where the act of holding back or stopping something serves a functional purpose. Repress, due to its psychological implications, tends to retain its association with deeper, often unresolved, emotional or mental processes that can have long-term effects on an individual's behavior and mental health.
While suppression can sometimes be a temporary or situational response, allowing for the possibility of the suppressed element being expressed later, repression can lead to the buried thoughts or feelings manifesting in other ways, such as in dreams or through slips of the tongue (Freudian slips), indicating the complex nature of the human psyche in dealing with unwanted or harmful content.
Comparison Chart
Awareness
Conscious effort to hold back or control.
Unconscious process of excluding from conscious awareness.
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Context
Often used in social, political, or practical scenarios.
Primarily used in psychological contexts.
Duration
Can be temporary or situational.
Often leads to long-term burying of thoughts or feelings.
Manifestation
Direct inhibition of actions, expressions, or information.
Indirect, can surface in altered forms, like dreams.
Associated Terms
Suppression, suppressive actions, to keep under control.
Repression, repressive mechanisms, defense mechanism.
Compare with Definitions
Suppress
To hold back or restrain actions or emotions.
She suppressed her anger during the meeting.
Repress
To unconsciously block unpleasant or harmful thoughts and feelings.
Traumatic events are often repressed to protect the psyche.
Suppress
To reduce or eliminate a response or reaction.
Firefighters used foam to suppress the fire.
Repress
To keep emotions or desires from conscious awareness.
He repressed his feelings of jealousy.
Suppress
To control or prevent the expression of.
He suppressed a laugh at the inappropriate joke.
Repress
To use psychological defense mechanisms to avoid confronting painful memories.
Repressing memories can lead to unresolved emotional issues.
Suppress
To consciously prevent the dissemination of information or ideas.
The government attempted to suppress the news.
Repress
To involuntarily withhold an impulse or emotion.
Repressed anger can manifest in unexpected ways.
Suppress
To stop or inhibit an activity or process.
The medication helps to suppress the symptoms.
Repress
To maintain control over one's inner conflicts by pushing them out of conscious thought.
She repressed the memory of the accident.
Suppress
To put an end to forcibly; subdue
Suppress a rebellion. See Usage Note at repress.
Repress
(Psychology) To exclude (painful or disturbing memories, for example) automatically or unconsciously from the conscious mind.
Suppress
To curtail or prohibit the activities of
Suppress dissident groups.
Repress
To hold back or prevent by an act of volition
Couldn't repress a smirk.
Suppress
To keep from being revealed, published, or circulated
Suppress evidence.
Suppress a film.
Repress
To put down or subdue by force
Repress a rebellion.
Suppress
To deliberately exclude (unacceptable desires or thoughts) from the mind.
Repress
To end, limit, or restrain, as by intimidation or other action
Repress a heresy.
Repress inflation.
Suppress
To inhibit the expression of
Suppress anger.
Suppress a smile.
Repress
To prevent (the transcription of a gene or the synthesis of a protein) by the combination of a protein with an operator gene.
Suppress
To restrain the growth, activity, or release of
Suppress a virus.
Suppress a hemorrhage.
Repress
To prevent or limit the synthesis of (a protein).
Suppress
To inhibit the expression of (a gene)
Suppress a mutation.
Repress
To take repressive action.
Suppress
To put an end to, especially with force, to crush, do away with; to prohibit, subdue.
Political dissent was brutally suppressed.
Repress
(transitive) To forcefully prevent an upheaval from developing further.
To repress rebellion or sedition
To repress the first risings of discontent
Suppress
To restrain or repress, such as laughter or an expression.
I struggled to suppress my smile.
Repress
To check; to keep back.
Suppress
(psychiatry) To exclude undesirable thoughts from one's mind.
He unconsciously suppressed his memories of abuse.
Repress
To press again.
To repress a vinyl record
Suppress
To prevent publication.
The government suppressed the findings of their research about the true state of the economy.
Repress
A record pressed again; a repressing.
Suppress
To stop a flow or stream.
The rescue team managed to suppress the flow of oil by blasting the drilling hole.
Hot blackcurrant juice mixed with honey may suppress cough.
Repress
To press again.
Suppress
To forbid the use of evidence at trial because it is improper or was improperly obtained.
Repress
To press back or down effectually; to crush down or out; to quell; to subdue; to supress; as, to repress sedition or rebellion; to repress the first risings of discontent.
Suppress
(electronics) To reduce unwanted frequencies in a signal.
Repress
Hence, to check; to restrain; to keep back.
Desire of wine and all delicious drinks, . . . Thou couldst repress.
Suppress
(military) To stop or prevent the enemy from executing unwanted activities like firing, regrouping, observation or others.
Repress
The act of repressing.
Suppress
(obsolete) To hold in place, to keep low.
Repress
Put down by force or intimidation;
The government quashes any attempt of an uprising
China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently
The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land
Suppress
To overpower and crush; to subdue; to put down; to quell.
Every rebellion, when it is suppressed, doth make the subject weaker, and the prince stronger.
Repress
Conceal or hide;
Smother a yawn
Muffle one's anger
Strangle a yawn
Suppress
To keep in; to restrain from utterance or vent; as, to suppress the voice; to suppress a smile.
Repress
Put out of one's consciousness
Suppress
To retain without disclosure; to conceal; not to reveal; to prevent publication of; as, to suppress evidence; to suppress a pamphlet; to suppress the truth.
She suppresses the name, and this keeps him in a pleasing suspense.
Suppress
To stop; to restrain; to arrest the discharges of; as, to suppress a diarrhea, or a hemorrhage.
Suppress
To put down by force or authority;
Suppress a nascent uprising
Stamp down on littering
Conquer one's desires
Suppress
Come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority;
The government oppresses political activists
Suppress
Control and refrain from showing; of emotions
Suppress
Keep under control; keep in check;
Suppress a smile
Keep your temper
Keep your cool
Suppress
Put out of one's consciousness
Common Curiosities
How do societies suppress dissent?
Societies may suppress dissent through censorship, laws limiting free speech, policing, and other authoritative measures to control public expression and opposition.
Are there positive aspects of suppression?
In some cases, suppression can be a useful short-term strategy for managing emotions or reactions in situations where immediate expression is inappropriate or harmful.
Can suppressing emotions be harmful?
Yes, consistently suppressing emotions can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and potential psychological issues, as it prevents healthy processing and expression.
Is it possible to stop repressing memories?
With therapeutic intervention, it can be possible to uncover and address repressed memories, allowing for healing and resolution of underlying issues.
Can repressed emotions affect physical health?
Yes, repressed emotions can contribute to physical health problems, as chronic stress and unresolved emotional issues can impact the body's systems and lead to various health conditions.
How can one manage suppressed emotions?
Managing suppressed emotions often involves acknowledging and expressing them in healthy ways, such as through therapy, journaling, art, or conversation.
Is repressing the same as forgetting?
Repressing involves pushing thoughts or feelings out of conscious awareness, which can result in forgetting, but it's driven by psychological defense mechanisms rather than simple forgetfulness.
How does repression differ from denial?
Repression is an unconscious process of burying thoughts or feelings, while denial is a conscious refusal to accept reality or facts.
Can suppression be a conscious choice?
Yes, suppression involves a conscious decision to control or prevent the expression of certain thoughts, feelings, or information.
What role does repression play in mental health?
Repression can play a complex role in mental health, sometimes serving as a temporary defense mechanism but potentially leading to more significant issues if underlying thoughts or feelings are not eventually addressed.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
