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.
Throughout it all, Root was as restrained with his fields as he was with his words.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
He is renowned for his precise and restrained use of language, delivering provocative truths about people’s ugliest impulses and asking the audience to laugh at them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Investors were disappointed by the neobank’s restrained guidance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
That’s the most restrained reading in 5½ years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
He was in a mercurial Hastings temper, and a halter and chain looped over his bridle barely restrained him.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
