restrained
Americanadjective
adjective
-
(of a person or person's manner) calm and unemotional
-
(of clothes, décor, etc) subtle and tasteful
Other Word Forms
- nonrestrained adjective
- restrainedly adverb
Etymology
Origin of restrained
Explanation
Use the adjective restrained to describe something that's kept under control, such as strong emotion or even physical movement. If you're angry but you don't want it to show, you might speak in a restrained manner. Restrained can describe someone or something that is physically immobilized or held back. For example, an angry crowd might have to be restrained by riot police. Or it can mean a different kind of holding back and describe something that is understated and discreet. Actresses who walk the red carpet often avoid attention-getting gowns in favor of more restrained outfits in times of war or national crisis.
Vocabulary lists containing restrained
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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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.
It’s unprecedented, Sinnar explained, because the state-level designation, while distinct, goes beyond the federal law governing the designation of terrorist organizations, which have been restrained by the First Amendment.
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
“They are accustomed to flexibility, immediacy, and platform ubiquity. By those standards, the Masters has often appeared restrained, even stubbornly so.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
The public rhetoric around Taiwan last week remained carefully restrained.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
Swim, the album's first single, is subtle and restrained, the sort of music that drifts lazily into your ears before getting stuck on your internal radio.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
She marches over to him and pulls him into a hug only slightly more restrained than the one she gave me.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
Definitions 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.
