Meaning & use
Refraining
Last updated
Deliberately stopping oneself from doing something; holding back from an action.
See it in a sentence
She was refraining from commenting on the controversial topic during the meeting.
Doctors advised him to keep refraining from strenuous exercise until the injury healed.
A note on using this word
Often followed by 'from,' as in 'refraining from [action],' and rooted in Latin refrenare, 'to hold back with a bridle.'
Words with a similar meaning
abstainingwithholding
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Words with an opposite meaning
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