refrain

¹ American  

[ri-freyn] / rɪˈfreɪn /

verb (used without object)

1. to abstain from an impulse to say or do something (often followed byfrom ).

   I refrained from telling him what I thought.

   Synonyms:

   desist, forbear

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verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to curb.

refrain ² American  

[ri-freyn] / rɪˈfreɪn /

noun

1. a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza; chorus.

2. Music.

   1. a musical setting for the refrain of a poem.

   2. any melody.

   3. the principal, recurrent section of a rondo.

3. an often heard statement, opinion, etc..

   Today’s technology haters have a common refrain—robots are bad for society.

4. a frequently occurring situation or series of events.

   The game followed a familiar refrain: a strong first quarter start that eventually fizzles out.

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refrain ¹ British  

/ rɪˈfreɪn /

noun

1. a regularly recurring melody, such as the chorus of a song

2. a much repeated saying or idea

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refrain ² British  

/ rɪˈfreɪn /

verb

1. to abstain (from action); forbear

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refrain Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• refrainer noun
• refrainment noun
• unrefrained adjective
• unrefraining adjective

Etymology

Origin of refrain¹

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”

Origin of refrain²

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 ”

Example Sentences

Employees should work from home, refrain from flying and use public transport, it said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

They demanded Tehran "immediately refrain" and -- alongside the call for a safe corridor -- requested a "coordinated international approach to the safety of navigation" in the region.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

Phil and who will conduct Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Bowl this summer, is making Beethoven a refrain of his first season in New York, as well.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

The refrain “I was just doing my job” wears thin awfully fast.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

I refrain from looking at my blotchy self in the mirror.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Related Words

• abstain
• avoid
• cease
• curb
• desist
• forgo
• halt
• renounce
• resist
• restrain