Dictionary.com

refrain

1
[ ri-freyn ]
/ rɪˈfreɪn /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: refrain / refrained / refraining / refrainment on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)
to abstain from an impulse to say or do something (often followed by from): I refrained from telling him what I thought.
verb (used with object)
Archaic. to curb.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of refrain

1
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”

OTHER WORDS FROM refrain

re·frain·er, nounre·frain·ment, nounun·re·frained, adjectiveun·re·frain·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH refrain

refrain , restrain

Other definitions for refrain (2 of 2)

refrain2
[ ri-freyn ]
/ rɪˈfreɪn /
noun
a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza; chorus.
Music.
  1. a musical setting for the refrain of a poem.
  2. any melody.
  3. the principal, recurrent section of a rondo.
an often heard statement, opinion, etc.: Today’s technology haters have a common refrain—robots are bad for society.
a frequently occurring situation or series of events:The game followed a familiar refrain: a strong first quarter start that eventually fizzles out.

Origin of refrain

2
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”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to refrain

melody, theme, abstain, avoid, cease, curb, desist, forgo, halt, renounce, resist, restrain, burden, music, song, strain, tune, arrest, check, eschew

How to use refrain in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for refrain (1 of 2)

refrain1
/ (rɪˈfreɪn) /
verb
(intr usually foll by from) to abstain (from action); forbear

Derived forms of refrain

refrainer, nounrefrainment, noun

Word Origin for refrain

C14: from Latin refrēnāre to check with a bridle, from re- + frēnum a bridle

British Dictionary definitions for refrain (2 of 2)

refrain2
/ (rɪˈfreɪn) /
noun
a regularly recurring melody, such as the chorus of a song
a much repeated saying or idea

Word Origin for refrain

C14: via Old French, ultimately from Latin refringere to break into pieces
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

Cultural definitions for refrain

refrain

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

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK