refrain
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refrain¹
- /ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refrener, Old French refrener, from Latin refrēnāre, from re- + frēnāre, from frēnum.
verb refrains · refraining · refrained
- To hold back, to restrain (someone or something). Refrain thy foot from their path.
- To show restraint; to hold oneself back. And nowe I saye unto you: refrayne youreselves from these men, and let them alone [...].
-
To repress (a desire, emotion etc.); to check or curb.
Similar: hold
- To stop oneself from some action or interference; to abstain; to eschew Refrain from these men, and let them alone.
- To abstain from (food or drink). Who, requiring a remedy for his gout, received no other counsel than to refrain cold drink.
refrain²
- /ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From French refrain, from the Old French verb refraindre (“to break off, repeat”), from Latin re- (“back, again”) + frangō (“break”); compare Occitan refranhs (“a refrain”), refranher (“to repeat”). See refract and the verb refrain.
noun refrains
- The chorus or burden of a song repeated at the end of each verse or stanza. For perhaps as much as thirty seconds they kept it up. It was a refrain that was often heard in moments of overwhelming emotion. Partly it was a sort of hymn to the wisdom and majesty of Big Brother, but still more it was an act of self-hypnosis, a deliberate drowning of consciousness by means of rh
-
A much repeated comment, complaint, or saying.
Similar: old saw
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: forbear, desist, abstain, forebear, chorus, prevent, cease, forgo, avert, avoid, withhold, avoidance, eschew, stop, discontinue, leave
Translations
Every language
verb (intransitive) to abstain (from) — see also abstain, contain oneself, retain, inhibit
| Español | comedirse, refrenarse/enfrenarse/prescindir (de) |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 慎む tsutsushimu, 差し控える sashihikaeru |
| 中文 | 避免 bìmiǎn, 戒除 jièchú |
| Português | abster-se, abster-se (de) |
| Français | se retenir, s'abstenir |
| Deutsch | sich enthalten, verzichten, absehen, unterlassen, sich zurückhalten, Abstand nehmen |
| Italiano | contenersi, frenarsi, astenersi |
| العربية | اِمْتَنَعَ |
noun burden of song
| Español | estribillo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 후렴 huryeom, 리프레인 ripeurein |
| 日本語 | リフレーン rifurēn, 繰り返し句 kurikaeshiku |
| 中文 | 副歌 fùgē |
| Português | refrão |
| Français | refrain |
| Deutsch | Refrain, Kehrreim |
| Italiano | ritornello |
| Ελληνικά | επωδός epodós |
| Română | refren |
| Русский | припе́в pripév, рефре́н refrén |
| Tiếng Việt | điệp khúc |
| العربية | لَازِمَة lāzima, قَرَار qarār |
| עברית | פִּזְמוֹן pizmón, רֶפְרֵן refrén |
Talk about this word "refrain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/refrain. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. refrain. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/refrain "refrain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/refrain.Cite this
@misc{refrain_2026,
title = {refrain},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/refrain},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
