Word
suppress
Phoneticssup·press, stress on the second syllable
US/səˈpɹɛs/
UK/səpɹˈɛs/
Definitions
01to stop by force
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to end something by using force, like stopping a protest or a rebellion.
v. to put an end to an activity or organization, typically through the use of authority or physical force.
日本語:鎮圧する※
“The government used the army to suppress the rebellion in the northern provinces.”
“The authoritarian regime moved quickly to suppress the uprising, deploying riot police to clear the central square before dawn.”
02to hold back feelings
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to try not to show an emotion or a physical reaction, like a laugh or a cough.
v. to consciously inhibit the expression of an emotion, impulse, or physiological reaction.
日本語:抑える※
“She had to suppress a smile when she saw his ridiculous hat.”
“During the solemn ceremony, he struggled to suppress a cough, fearing the noise would disrupt the silence of the cathedral.”
03to hide information
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to prevent information or a book from being made public.
v. to prevent the publication, circulation, or disclosure of information or creative work.
“The company tried to suppress the report about the safety flaws in their new car.”
“The intelligence agency attempted to suppress the leaked documents, citing national security concerns as the primary justification for the injunction.”
04to block evidence
C1 · Advanced Law Technical · Formal
v. to legally prevent certain evidence from being used in a court case.
v. to exclude evidence from a trial, typically on the grounds that it was obtained illegally or is prejudicial.
“The lawyer filed a motion to suppress the evidence because it was found without a warrant.”
“The defence attorney argued that the confession was coerced and moved to suppress it before the jury was empanelled.”
Antonyms
05to reduce signals
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
v. to reduce or get rid of unwanted electrical noise or frequencies.
v. to reduce the magnitude of a signal, frequency, or interference in an electronic system.
“The new headphones use technology to suppress background noise.”
“The circuit was designed to suppress high-frequency interference that would otherwise degrade the clarity of the audio output.”
Antonyms
06military tactics
C1 · Advanced Military Technical
v. to stop an enemy from firing or moving by shooting at them.
v. to prevent the enemy from performing specific tasks, such as firing or observing, through the use of overwhelming force.
“The soldiers fired at the building to suppress the enemy snipers.”
“The artillery unit was ordered to suppress the enemy's defensive positions to allow the infantry to advance across the open field.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “suppress” in context.
Verb
01. brutally suppress the rebellion
“The dictator used his secret police to brutally suppress the rebellion in the northern provinces.”
adv + verb + noun
02. suppress a yawn
“She tried to suppress a yawn during the long, tedious lecture on macroeconomics.”
verb + noun
03. suppress the evidence
“The defense attorney argued that the police had tried to suppress the evidence found during the illegal search.”
verb + noun
04. suppress the uprising with force
“The military was called in to suppress the uprising with force after the protests turned violent.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
Noun
05. attempt to suppress the truth
“The whistleblower's report exposed a systematic attempt to suppress the truth about the chemical spill.”
noun + infinitive
06. power to suppress the information
“The agency has the legal power to suppress the information if it poses a threat to national security.”
noun + infinitive
Adverb
07. forcibly suppress the dissent
“The government moved to forcibly suppress the dissent by arresting the leaders of the opposition party.”
adv + verb + noun
08. successfully suppress the symptoms
“The new medication was able to successfully suppress the symptoms of the chronic illness.”
adv + verb + noun
Real-World Examples
“The JAAC said Pakistani authorities were trying to suppress dissent and have detained scores of its supporters, who it said were ordinary Kashmiris.” “Filmed on location at Treaty 1 Territory in Manitoba, Esther’s suppressed memories of her stolen life are shot through with lushness as they return, though they aren’t all happy.” Etymology
From Latin suppressus, perfect passive participle of supprimō (“press down or under”), from sub (“under”) + premō (“press”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/suppress
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0