refrain

¹ American  

[ri-freyn] / rɪˈfreɪn /

verb (used without object)

1. to abstain from an impulse to say or do something (often followed byfrom ).

   I refrained from telling him what I thought.

   Synonyms:

   desist, forbear

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verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to curb.

refrain ² American  

[ri-freyn] / rɪˈfreɪn /

noun

1. a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza; chorus.

2. Music.

   1. a musical setting for the refrain of a poem.

   2. any melody.

   3. the principal, recurrent section of a rondo.

3. an often heard statement, opinion, etc..

   Today’s technology haters have a common refrain—robots are bad for society.

4. a frequently occurring situation or series of events.

   The game followed a familiar refrain: a strong first quarter start that eventually fizzles out.

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refrain ¹ British  

/ rɪˈfreɪn /

verb

1. to abstain (from action); forbear

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refrain ² British  

/ rɪˈfreɪn /

noun

1. a regularly recurring melody, such as the chorus of a song

2. a much repeated saying or idea

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refrain Cultural  

1. In some pieces of verse, a set of words repeated at the end of each stanza.

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Other Word Forms

• refrainer
  noun
• refrainment
  noun
• unrefrained
  adjective
• unrefraining
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

So-called hawks are more inclined to fight inflation with interest-rate hikes and to refrain from cutting rates.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

At various points during a series of public remarks on the same day, Trump also repeated his refrain that "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon".

From BBC • May 3, 2026

He added officials do have a delicate balancing act, to refrain from raising rates prematurely and further slow down a struggling economy, while avoiding waiting too long to act before higher inflation becomes entrenched.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

It may be frustrating to hear the old refrain that quantum is a long-term bet, but this year’s price swings prove that patience is the only viable strategy.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

"New York," she said dreamily and began to sing the refrain from the popular New York merengue that was on the radio night and day.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• abstain
• avoid
• cease
• curb
• desist
• forgo
• halt
• renounce
• resist
• restrain