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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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.
It’s also showing a relatively restrained level of engagement in November’s general elections for the U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Pike, 50, continues to receive critical medical care and is being restrained at her hands and feet in her hospital bed, her lawyers said at the news conference after a court hearing on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Yet that was a restrained debate, locked into hypotheticals about how Iran might react if the country’s security was further threatened.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Instead they must be restrained through policies and laws, she said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
I wanted to reach out and smooth his hair, but I restrained my hand and only returned his greeting.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
