refrain
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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refrains,
present (3rd person singular)
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refrained,
past participle, past
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refraining
present participle
verb (used with object)
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refrains,
present (3rd person singular)
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refrained,
past participle, past
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refraining
present participle
noun
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refrains
plural
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a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza; chorus.
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Music.
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a musical setting for the refrain of a poem.
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any melody.
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the principal, recurrent section of a rondo.
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an often heard statement, opinion, etc..
Today’s technology haters have a common refrain—robots are bad for society.
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a frequently occurring situation or series of events.
The game followed a familiar refrain: a strong first quarter start that eventually fizzles out.
noun
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a regularly recurring melody, such as the chorus of a song
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a much repeated saying or idea
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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refrainsimple
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refrainssimple
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have refrainedperfect
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has refrainedperfect
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am refrainingprogressive
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are refrainingprogressive
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is refrainingprogressive
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have been refrainingperfect progressive
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has been refrainingperfect progressive
Past
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refrainedsimple
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had refrainedperfect
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was refrainingprogressive
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were refrainingprogressive
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had been refrainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of refrain1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English refreinen, from Old French refre(i)ner, from Latin refrēnāre “to bridle,” derivative of re- re- + frēn(um) “bridle”
Origin of refrain2
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, Middle French refreyne, from Old French refrain, derivative of refraindre “to break sequence” from Vulgar Latin refrangere (unattested) for Latin refringere “to refract ”
Explanation
When someone burps in a quiet classroom it can be hard to refrain from laughing. Use the verb refrain if you have a sudden impulse to do something and you have stopped yourself from doing it. It's usually hard to refrain from doing something: you might find it difficult to refrain from eating dessert after dinner, for example — especially when your aunt makes her double chocolate chunk brownies. The Latin word refrēnāre is formed from the prefix re-, "back," plus frēnāre, "to hold a horse back with a bridle." No need to hold back when using refrain as a noun; it’s the part of a song or poem that repeats.
Vocabulary lists containing refrain
List 2
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Reading: Literature - Poetry - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Now, don’t get me wrong: The movie isn’t exactly garnering Oscar buzz, or even eliciting the fervent “you’ve got to see this!” refrain that followed 2014’s “Gone Girl” around.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
Its personal conduct policy states that “everyone who is a part of the league” must refrain from behavior detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
The mood was also helped by G7 leaders' decision to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from their reserves over four months and to "refrain from export restrictions on energy".
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told world leaders at the United Nations this week that the country would neither shelve its nuclear program nor build nuclear weapons, repeating Tehran’s usual refrain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
They were approaching cautiously now, almost sidling, to refrain from setting off the thoroughly irrational robot.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
It features — without a doubt — one of the best bridges and refrains of the year, and perhaps onward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Stilwell, who refrains from sharing his first name, operates on Catalina Island, a dumping ground for officers who’ve either botched cases or run afoul of their superiors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
“This proposal is decidedly neutral and refrains from saying that any asset class is any better or worse than other investment types.”
From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026
“This proposal is decidedly neutral and refrains from saying that any asset class is any better or worse than other investment types, as the law requires,” said U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026
In my ear, my Baba’s deep voice murmurs the refrains.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Stray Kids had previously refrained from giving a direct answer to questions about the awards.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
While Kennedy has refrained from commenting on the current court or President Trump, he has written a memoir that tells his life story and explains the reasoning behind the major decisions of his era.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters chose not to preview or promote the speech in the two prime hours leading up to it, and Ingraham refrained from mentioning it on her Friday, Monday and Tuesday broadcasts.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
So far, it has refrained from striking Israel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
And he refrained for the moment from ordering further offensives.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
Experts expect details of future potential interest-rate hikes to be kept to a minimum, owing to Warsh’s preference for refraining from issuing guidance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
A spokesperson for the CHP said that, out of respect for Cano’s family and the integrity of the review process, the agency was refraining from comment until it had “thoroughly examined” the medical examiner’s report.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
The Palace points to the King's unprecedented moves so far – stripping Andrew of titles and home, offering assistance, and refraining in any way from seeking favour from the authorities.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
Hu's book passed the censors, with a few adaptations, sticking to social commentary and refraining from criticism.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
Schiem showed his true gentlemanly nature by refraining from any crude comments as he lay a thick slice of steaming meat atop her piece of bread.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
