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Synonyms

constrained

American  
[kuhn-streynd] / kənˈstreɪnd /

adjective

  1. forced, compelled, or obliged.

    a constrained confession.

  2. stiff or unnatural; uneasy or embarrassed.

    a constrained manner.
constrained British  
/ kənˈstreɪnɪdlɪ, kənˈstreɪnd /

adjective

  1. embarrassed, unnatural, or forced

    a constrained smile
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • constrainedly adverb
  • unconstrained adjective

Etymology

Origin of constrained

First recorded in 1565–75; constrain + -ed 2

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.