The character 抑 (yì) means "to restrain" or "to press down", conveying a sense of holding something back by force. It is combined with 制 (zhì), which means "to control", "to regulate", or "to restrict", emphasizing a systematic or purposeful action. Together, they form the compound word 抑制, where the meaning of the second character 制 intensifies and specifies the action of the first, 抑, creating the unified concept of "to suppress", "to inhibit", or "to restrain" , essentially a controlled act of holding down or checking.