suppress
gb/səpɹˈɛs/ us/səpɹˈɛs/
B2
English
~ 7600
lever, elfojt, elnyom, visszafojt, eltitkol, cenzúráz, visszatart, gátol, csillapít, csökkent
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
to suppress [something]
The government sent in troops to suppress the uprising.
A kormány katonákat küldött ki, hogy leverjék a felkelést.
Security forces quickly suppressed the riot before it spread to other parts of the city.
A biztonsági erők gyorsan leverték a zavargást, mielőtt az átterjedt volna a város más részeire.
The regime used new emergency laws to suppress political opposition.
The army was ordered to suppress any sign of public unrest.
Learner examples
The police moved in to suppress the protest.
A rendőrség közbelépett, hogy elfojtsa a tüntetést.
The king used soldiers to suppress the rebellion.
A király katonákat vetett be, hogy leverje a lázadást.
The new law was used to suppress workers who went on strike.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "suppress" with "oppress". "Suppress" is about stopping actions like protests or movements, often at a specific time. "Oppress" means to treat people cruelly and unfairly for a long time. Example: "The government suppressed the protest" (stopped the event) vs. "The government oppressed the minority group" (treated them badly over many years).
Meaning
end opposition using force
Collocations
suppress a rebellion
|suppress a protest
|suppress dissent
|suppress opposition
|suppress unrest
|suppress a riot
Synonyms
quell (often used for stopping protests or violence, slightly more literary)
|
put down (phrasal verb that sounds less formal but is common for stopping protests or rebellions)
|
crush (stronger, suggests using very heavy or brutal force)
Antonyms
encourage (means to support or make something stronger instead of trying to stop it)
|
tolerate (means to allow something to continue even if you disagree with it)
Themes
politics
|law
|conflict
Definition
to stop people from fighting, protesting, or resisting, usually by using power or force
To stop an uprising, protest, or other form of active opposition, often using force, threats, or legal power.
VERB
B2
2
elfojt
B2
visszafojt
B2
Usage pattern:
to suppress [a feeling/reaction]
She tried to suppress her anger and speak calmly.
Megpróbálta elfojtani a dühét, és nyugodtan beszélni.
He could not suppress a smile when he heard the good news.
Nem tudta elfojtani a mosolyát, amikor meghallotta a jó hírt.
They struggled to suppress their laughter during the serious meeting.
I had to suppress the urge to shout at him.
Learner examples
She suppressed her tears and stayed strong.
Visszafojtotta a könnyeit, és erős maradt.
He suppressed a laugh when his friend made a joke.
Elfojtotta a nevetését, amikor a barátja viccet mondott.
I tried to suppress my fear and walk into the dark room.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "suppress" with "repress". In everyday conversation about emotions, both can be used, but "suppress" often refers to a clear, conscious action in a moment (e.g., suppress a laugh), while "repress" is more about long-term, often unconscious pushing down of feelings, especially in psychology. Also, do not say *"suppress out your feelings"*; simply say "suppress your feelings" or "hold back your feelings".
Meaning
hold back feelings or reactions
Collocations
suppress anger
|suppress feelings
|suppress laughter
|suppress the urge
|suppress a smile
|suppress emotions
Synonyms
hold back (more informal and common in everyday speech for controlling emotions or reactions)
|
repress (more psychological; often suggests pushing feelings deep inside over a long time)
|
bottle up (informal; suggests keeping strong feelings inside without expressing them)
Antonyms
express (means to show or communicate feelings instead of hiding them)
|
release (suggests letting feelings or reactions come out freely)
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
to stop yourself from showing a feeling, desire, or reaction
To consciously control yourself so that a feeling, desire, or physical reaction does not show or is not expressed.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
to suppress [information/evidence/news]
The company was accused of suppressing evidence about the drug's side effects.
A céget azzal vádolták, hogy eltitkolt bizonyítékokat a gyógyszer mellékhatásairól.
Officials tried to suppress the report, but it was leaked to the press.
A tisztviselők megpróbálták eltitkolni a jelentést, de az kiszivárgott a sajtóhoz.
The government attempted to suppress news of the corruption scandal.
Lawyers argued that the police had illegally suppressed key documents.
Learner examples
The leader tried to suppress the bad news before the election.
A vezető megpróbálta eltitkolni a rossz hírt a választás előtt.
They suppressed the report because it made the company look bad.
Eltitkolták a jelentést, mert rossz színben tüntette fel a céget.
The court found that the police had suppressed important evidence.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "hide" when a more formal verb is needed. In serious news or legal contexts, "suppress" or "withhold" is more natural than simply saying "hide". Also, avoid *"suppress about"*; say "suppress the news", "suppress information", not *"suppress about the news"*.
Meaning
hide or block information
Collocations
suppress evidence
|suppress a report
|suppress the news
|suppress a story
|suppress information
Synonyms
cover up (informal; often suggests hiding something wrong or illegal)
|
censor (focuses on officially removing or blocking parts of texts, films, etc.)
|
withhold (more neutral; means not giving information that you could give)
Antonyms
disclose (formal; means to officially share or make information known)
|
reveal (means to show something that was hidden before)
Themes
law
|media
|politics
|communication
Definition
to stop information, news, or evidence from being seen or known by other people
To deliberately stop information, a report, or evidence from being published, shared, or used, especially for political or legal reasons.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
to suppress [a process/symptom]
This medication helps suppress your cough so you can sleep.
Ez a gyógyszer segít csillapítani a köhögését, hogy aludni tudjon.
Long-term use of steroids can suppress the immune system.
A szteroidok tartós használata gátolhatja az immunrendszer működését.
The drug is designed to suppress tumor growth.
Engineers installed special panels to suppress noise from the machinery.
Learner examples
The doctor gave me pills to suppress my cough.
Az orvos tablettákat adott, hogy csillapítsa a köhögésemet.
Some drugs can suppress your appetite.
Egyes gyógyszerek csökkenthetik az étvágyat.
Special walls are used to suppress sound in the studio.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "suppress" is often used in science and medicine for symptoms or processes, not just for people or emotions. Do not say *"suppress a disease person"*; say "suppress the virus", "suppress the disease", or "suppress symptoms".
Meaning
reduce or stop a process
Collocations
suppress a cough
|suppress appetite
|suppress the immune system
|suppress tumor growth
|suppress noise
|suppress a signal
Synonyms
inhibit (common in scientific and medical writing; emphasizes slowing or reducing a process)
|
reduce (more general; suggests making something smaller or weaker)
|
dampen (technical in physics/engineering for reducing vibration or signal strength)
Antonyms
stimulate (to make a process or activity stronger or more active)
|
enhance (to increase the level or effect of something)
Themes
medicine
|science
|technology
|health
Definition
to stop or greatly reduce something physical, like a cough, a signal, or the growth of a disease
To prevent or significantly reduce the activity, growth, or effect of a physical process, symptom, or signal, often through a chemical, medical, or technical method.
Grammar
Dictionary form
suppress
IPA
GB/səpɹˈɛs/
US/səpɹˈɛs/
Syllables & stress
sup - press (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (press)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: suppress
- 3rd Person Singular: suppresses
- Present Participle: suppressing
- Past: suppressed
Word family
Forms
suppresses
verb
suppressing
verb
suppressed
verb
Core family
suppression
noun B2
Related words
suppressor
noun
suppressant
noun
suppressive
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unsuppressed
adjective
Advanced or less common
suppressible
adjective
Expressions
suppress a laugh
1/səpɹˈɛs ə lˈæf/
fixed phrase
hold back a laugh
to stop yourself from laughing out loud.
Examples
- They struggled to suppress a laugh during the serious speech.
- I had to suppress a laugh when my friend made a funny face in class.
suppress a report
1/səpɹˈɛs ə ɹɪpˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
formal
block publication of a report
to stop an official document, like a report, from being released to the public.
Examples
- Officials tried to suppress the report because it was politically sensitive.
- They claimed the minister had suppressed a report on climate risks.
suppress a smile
1/səpɹˈɛs ə smˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
try not to smile
to control your face so that you do not smile, or your smile is very small and hidden.
Examples
- She tried to suppress a smile when her son mispronounced the word.
- He managed to suppress a smile, not wanting to seem too pleased.
suppress dissent
1/səpɹˈɛs dɪsˈɛnt/
fixed phrase
formal
stop open disagreement
to stop people from speaking or acting against the government or leaders.
Examples
- The regime used strict laws to suppress dissent.
- Journalists claimed the new regulations were meant to suppress dissenting voices.
suppress evidence
1/səpɹˈɛs ˈɛvədəns/
fixed phrase
formal
hide or block evidence
to keep evidence secret or stop it from being used in court or seen by the public.
Examples
- The company was accused of suppressing evidence about safety problems.
- The judge ruled that the police had illegally suppressed key evidence.
suppress the immune system
1/səpɹˈɛs ðə ɪmjˈun sˈɪstəm/
fixed phrase
technical
weaken immune response
to make the body's natural defense system work less strongly.
Examples
- These drugs help prevent rejection by suppressing the immune system.
- Long-term stress can also suppress the immune system.
suppress the virus
1/səpɹˈɛs ðə vˈaɪɹəs/
fixed phrase
technical
control or reduce a virus
to make a virus less active or stop it from growing and spreading.
Examples
- The new treatment can suppress the virus but not completely remove it.
- Strict public health measures were introduced to suppress the virus.
suppress the vote
1/səpɹˈɛs ðə vˈoʊt/
fixed phrase
formal
prevent people from voting
to use rules or actions to stop some people from voting or to make it harder for them to vote.
Examples
- Critics say the new ID law is designed to suppress the vote among young people.
- They accused local officials of trying to suppress the vote in minority neighborhoods.