Definition

Verb: * To consciously suppress or restrain one's emotions, thoughts, or impulses, preventing them from being expressed or released.

Usage

This verb is used to describe the act of keeping strong feelings, such as anger, sadness, or frustration, inside oneself instead of expressing them. It often implies that this suppression is unhealthy or unsustainable over time. The structure is typically to bottle up [something] or to bottle [something] up.

Examples

• Basic Usage:

  • He tends to bottle up his anger instead of talking about what's bothering him.
  • For years, she bottled up her grief after the loss.
  • Don't bottle your feelings up; it's not good for your mental health.

• With Pronouns:

  • All that resentment is dangerous to bottle up.
  • You've been bottling it up for too long.

Advanced Usage

• "to be bottled up" (Passive/Adjectival Use): Describes a state where emotions are being suppressed.
  • After the argument, there was a lot of bottled-up tension in the room.
  • His bottled-up emotions eventually led to an outburst.

Variants and Related Words

• Bottled-up (adjective): Used to describe emotions that are being suppressed.
  • She has a lot of bottled-up frustration.

Synonyms

• Suppress: To consciously put an end to or inhibit.
• Repress: To subdue or restrain, often unconsciously.
• Contain: To keep within limits.
• Hold in: To restrain from expressing.

Antonyms

• Express: To convey a thought or feeling.
• Vent: To give free expression to a strong emotion.
• Release: To allow something to move, flow, or be expressed freely.
• Let out: To allow something to escape or be expressed.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• (To) Open up: To start talking frankly about one's feelings (the opposite action).
  • After bottling things up for months, he finally opened up to his friend.

Related Idioms

• Let off steam: To release pent-up energy or emotion, often through vigorous activity or expression.
  • He goes for a run to let off steam after bottling up stress all day.

Verb

1. control and refrain from showing; of emotions, desires, impulses, or behavior