What is another word for refrain?

Synonyms for refrain
rɪˈfreɪnre·frain

This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word refrain.

English Synonyms and Antonyms4.0 / 2 votes

  1. refrain

    Strains of music may gradually or suddenly cease. A man quits work on the instant; he may discontinue a practise gradually; he quits suddenly and completely; he stops short in what he may or may not resume; he pauses in what he will probably resume. What intermits or is intermitted returns again, as a fever that intermits. Compare ABANDON; DIE; END; REST.

    Synonyms:
    abstain, bring to an end, cease, come to an end, conclude, desist, discontinue, end, end, finish, give over, intermit, leave off, pause, quit, stop, terminate

    Antonyms:
    begin, commence, enter upon, inaugurate, initiate, institute, originate, set about, set going, set in operation, set on foot, start

    Preposition:
    Cease from anger.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms2.5 / 2 votes

  1. refrain

    Synonyms:
    forbear, hold, abstain, keep, restrain, withhold, desist from

    Antonyms:
    indulge, venture, continue, persist

Princeton's WordNet4.3 / 4 votes

  1. refrain, chorusverb

    the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers

    Synonyms:
    chorus line, chorus

    Antonyms:
    move, act

  2. refrain, forbearverb

    resist doing something

    "He refrained from hitting him back"; "she could not forbear weeping"

    Synonyms:
    desist, forbear, hold back, abstain

    Antonyms:
    move, act

  3. abstain, refrain, desistverb

    choose not to consume

    "I abstain from alcohol"

    Synonyms:
    desist, forbear, abstain

    Antonyms:
    act, move

Dictionary of English Synonymes0.0 / 0 votes

  1. refrainverb

    Synonyms:
    restrain, withhold, keep back

  2. refrainverb

    Synonyms:
    abstain, forbear, hold one's self back, deny one's self, stay one's hand, keep one's self from indulgence

  3. refrainnoun

    Synonyms:
    burden (of a song)

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words0.0 / 0 votes

  1. refrainverb

    Synonyms:
    restrain, curb, check, forbear, abstain, desist

PPDB, the paraphrase database2.0 / 1 vote

  1. List of paraphrases for "refrain":

    abstain, chorus, abstaining, avoid, desist

How to pronounce refrain?

How to say refrain in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Words popularity by usage frequency

rankingword
#317end
#656keep
#1038stop
#1275hold
#2215avoid
#2674finish
#6027quit
#8026chorus
#8648conclude
#10518terminate
#10611pause
#11444cease
#17539refrain
#22808discontinue
#23641withhold
#28757abstain
#30094restrain
#35669desist
#63683abstaining
#90962forbear
#318728intermit

How to use refrain in a sentence?

  1. Andr Gide:

    In order to be utterly happy the only thing necessary is to refrain from comparing this moment with other moments in the past, which I often did not fully enjoy because I was comparing them with other moments of the future.

  2. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull:

    We urge all claimants in the South China Sea to refrain from any building of islands, any militarization of islands, any land reclamation, it is absolutely critical that we ensure that there is a lowering of tensions.

  3. Travis Witteveen:

    SPAM, A POPULAR VEHICLE FOR MALWARE, STILL TRICKS PEOPLE In the past, a common refrain from Mac enthusiasts was that Apple computers were n’t vulnerable to viruses like PCs. Well, that’s definitely not the case anymore. Even though there are plenty of Mac users that are quick to point out that Macs shouldn't need protecting by any security software, it's a fact that Macs are being targeted exclusively by bad guys more and more, macs are actually getting hacked by a variety of methods such as scripting languages [ and ] web-based attacks … Mac owners are not any safer than Windows users.

  4. Germaine Greer:

    We in the West do not refrain from childbirth because we are concerned about the population explosion or because we feel we cannot afford children, but because we do not like children.

  5. Ahmad Massoud:

    The National Resistance Front proposes that the Taliban stop its military operations in Panjshir Valley, Andarab, Parwan and Kapisa and withdraw its forces from Panjshir Valley and Andarab. In return, The National Resistance Front will direct The National Resistance Front forces to refrain from military action.


Translations for refrain

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"refrain." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 17 Feb. 2025. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/refrain>.

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    B unfold
    C dissipate
    D circularise

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