recalcar

Senses

1. 1.

   to repress, to suppress

   to hold back emotions, desires, or memories, often unconsciously (psychological sense)

2. 2.

   to compact, to compress

   to press down soil, earth, or material to make it firmer (technical/construction sense)

3. 3.

   to emphasize, to stress

   to highlight or insist on a point (less common usage)

Examples

• "Ela sempre recalcou seus sentimentos de raiva desde a infância."

  She has always repressed her feelings of anger since childhood.

• "O operário recalcou a terra ao redor da fundação."

  The worker compacted the soil around the foundation.

• "O professor recalcou a importância de estudar para a prova."

  The teacher stressed the importance of studying for the test.

Usage

Most commonly used in psychological contexts (recalcar emoções/sentimentos) and in construction/engineering (recalcar o solo/terra). The third sense (emphasize) is less frequent in Brazilian Portuguese; "enfatizar" or "ressaltar" are more common alternatives. Regular -ar verb conjugation.