constrained
Americanadjective
-
forced, compelled, or obliged.
a constrained confession.
-
stiff or unnatural; uneasy or embarrassed.
a constrained manner.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of constrained
Explanation
Something that's constrained is forced, unnatural and not very spontaneous — kind of like a linebacker trying to perform the ballet Swan Lake. Constrained contains the word strained for a reason. Mostly because anyone that's constrained is feeling a fair amount of strain because of it. In addition to referring to unnatural or uncharacteristic behavior, being constrained can also mean being held back or forced to do something you don't want to do. If your budget has taken a hit, for example, you may feel constrained financially. If you are on a diet, you may feel constrained by the Weight Watchers point system.
Vocabulary lists containing constrained
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Ash
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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.
Because the process occurs entirely within the plane of the material, it also avoids several efficiency limitations that have constrained earlier detector designs.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Even after its massive expenditures, Microsoft recently said its cloud-computing capacity was so constrained that it had to forsake external cloud sales to run its own operations.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
"One thing that hasn't helped is we are quite a constrained town," he says.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Kpler expects runs to remain constrained into the third quarter as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to pressure fuel production.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
“I will NOT be constrained by a technicality!”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
