restrain yourself

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   to stop yourself from doing something you want to do, especially something you should not do.

   Grammar: Used with a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject: I restrained myself, she restrained herself.

   Patterns

   • restrain yourself from doing something
   • restrain yourself from something

   She could hardly restrain herself from laughing during the ceremony.

   He restrained himself and said nothing, even though he was furious.

   Please restrain yourself from checking your phone while I'm talking.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   to keep control of your feelings so that you do not show them openly.

   Grammar: Often used about anger, excitement, or tears; it focuses on inner control rather than on actions.

   Patterns

   • restrain yourself from doing something

   He managed to restrain himself until the meeting was over.

   I had to restrain myself from shouting at the driver.

Common combinations

restrain yourself from laughing

It was so funny that I could barely restrain myself from laughing.

barely restrain yourself

She could barely restrain herself when she heard the news.

struggle to restrain yourself

He struggled to restrain himself as the referee made another bad call.

restrain yourself with difficulty

The children restrained themselves with difficulty while waiting for cake.

Synonyms and how they differ

hold yourself back

More informal and often about not moving forward or not acting at all, rather than controlling a strong urge.

control yourself

Broader and more general; it can refer to emotions, behavior, or even physical movements.

resist

Focuses on fighting a temptation and usually takes a direct object, as in 'resist the urge,' not a reflexive pronoun.

Opposites

Word family

restraint noun

the quality of controlling your actions or feelings, or a rule that limits something.

restrained adjective

calm and controlled, or kept within limits.

restrain verb

to stop someone or something from moving or acting; it takes a direct object.

Commonly confused: restrain yourself or restrict yourself?

Practice

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