refrain
1to abstain from an impulse to say or do something (often followed by from): I refrained from telling him what I thought.
Archaic. to curb.
Origin of refrain
1Other words for refrain
Other words from refrain
- re·frain·er, noun
- re·frain·ment, noun
- un·re·frained, adjective
- un·re·frain·ing, adjective
Words that may be confused with refrain
- refrain , restrain
Other definitions for refrain (2 of 2)
a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza; chorus.
Music.
a musical setting for the refrain of a poem.
any melody.
the principal, recurrent section of a rondo.
an often heard statement, opinion, etc.: Today’s technology haters have a common refrain—robots are bad for society.
a frequently occurring situation or series of events:The game followed a familiar refrain: a strong first quarter start that eventually fizzles out.
Origin of refrain
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for refrain (1 of 2)
/ (rɪˈfreɪn) /
(intr usually foll by from) to abstain (from action); forbear
Origin of refrain
1Derived forms of refrain
- refrainer, noun
- refrainment, noun
British Dictionary definitions for refrain (2 of 2)
/ (rɪˈfreɪn) /
a regularly recurring melody, such as the chorus of a song
a much repeated saying or idea
Origin of refrain
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for refrain
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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