压抑

• Pinyin: yā yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 压 = 厂 + 土 (pressing down with force); 抑 = 扌+ 卬 (hand + person looking up — holding someone back, restraining)

Meaning

To suppress; to repress; to hold back (emotions or expression). Also used as an adjective describing a stifling, oppressive atmosphere or a repressed emotional state.

Frequently used in psychological and emotional contexts. As a verb it means to hold back feelings or self-expression. As an adjective 压抑的 describes a claustrophobic atmosphere or chronic emotional suppression. Common in literary, psychological, and social commentary discourse.

Examples

1. 长期压抑内心积压的负面情绪而不寻求适当排解，往往会对一个人的心理健康造成持续且深远的损害。 Bottling up negative emotions for a long time without seeking a healthy outlet often causes lasting, far-reaching harm to a person’s mental health.
2. 他始终压抑着对不公正待遇的强烈愤慨，强迫自己以沉默来维持表面的平静，内心却早已波涛汹涌。 He kept suppressing his intense anger over unfair treatment, forcing himself into silence to maintain a calm appearance, even as his emotions churned inside.
3. 那段漫长岁月留给她的是一种难以名状的压抑感，如同长期笼罩在浓重的阴霾之下，无处可以喘息。 Those long years left her with an indescribable sense of oppression, as if she had been trapped under a heavy gloom with nowhere to breathe.

Usage Guide

Context: psychology, literature, emotional expression, social commentary

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这部小说深刻描绘了主人公在传统家庭礼教压抑下内心世界的挣扎与痛苦，读来令人感同身受。(This novel vividly depicts the protagonist's inner struggle and anguish under the suppression of traditional family norms, evoking deep empathy in the reader.)
• 心理咨询师建议她学会适时释放情绪，而不是一味地压抑自我，以免长期积累演变为更严重的心理问题。(The counsellor advised her to learn to release her emotions in a timely way rather than continually suppressing them, to prevent long-term accumulation from developing into more serious psychological problems.)

Don't Say

• 压抑声音 — for physically suppressing a sound use 压低声音 (lower the volume) or 抑制噪音 (suppress noise); 压抑 is specifically about emotional or psychological suppression, not acoustic control

Origin & History

压 (press down) + 抑 (restrain/hold back) — pressing down and holding back from within

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal