Definition

1. Verb:

   • To stop oneself from doing something; to hold back or avoid an action or impulse.
   • To choose not to do or have something, often as an act of self-control or discipline.

2. Noun:

   • A repeated line or group of lines in a song or poem, typically at the end of each verse; a chorus.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:

  • Please refrain from talking during the lecture.
  • He refrained from making any comment on the controversial issue.
  • For health reasons, she refrains from eating sugar.

• Noun:

  • The song's refrain is so catchy that everyone sings along.
  • The poet uses the same refrain at the close of every stanza to emphasize the theme.

Advanced Usage

• "To refrain from" + gerund (verb-ing): This is the most common grammatical structure for the verb.
  • The agreement requires both parties to refrain from hostile actions.
• Legal/Formal Context: Often used in official rules, notices, or polite requests.
  • Passengers are kindly requested to refrain from smoking.

Variants and Related Words

• Refrainment (n): (Rare) The act of refraining.
• Forbear (v): A close synonym meaning to refrain or hold back, often from something difficult.
  • She forbore to criticize him, though she was very disappointed.

Synonyms

• Verb: Abstain, desist, withhold, avoid, forbear.
• Noun: Chorus, burden, repeat, recurrent phrase.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: "Refrain" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically expressed with the preposition "from."

Related Idioms

• "To refrain one's tongue": (Archaic/Literary) To hold back from speaking.
  • In the tense meeting, he had to refrain his tongue to avoid an argument.

Noun

1. the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers

Verb

1. choose not to consume
   • I abstain from alcohol
2. resist doing something
   • He refrained from hitting him back
   • she could not forbear weeping