restrained
Americanadjective
adjective
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(of a person or person's manner) calm and unemotional
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(of clothes, décor, etc) subtle and tasteful
Other Word Forms
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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100 Top "SAT" Words
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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.
Asked about her most recent comments during a ministerial visit on Wednesday, Swinney was characteristically restrained.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Globalization, cheap manufacturing, abundant savings and restrained wage growth all combined to drive down inflation and, ultimately, interest rates.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Discovery are “temporarily enjoined and restrained from closing or consummating the transaction or taking any steps, directly or indirectly, to integrate or consolidate their operations pursuant to the transaction.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Kevin Maher from The Times, external said 54-year-old Johnson was "three decades too old to play Maui", with "his performance oddly lacklustre and restrained".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
At the door he restrained himself and descended more slowly and stood there again.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
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.
