What does "refrain" mean?
The chorus or burden of a song repeated at the end of each verse or stanza.
Refrain
/ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The chorus or burden of a song repeated at the end of each verse or stanza.
- Grammar: refrain is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: chorus, abandon, abjure, abort.
- Useful contrasts: profane, acting, acts.
- Usage evidence: Please refrain from smoking, while the non-smoking signs are on.
How to use "refrain"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "refrain" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "refrain" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "refrain" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "refrain" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "refrain" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "chorus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "refrain", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The chorus or burden of a song repeated at the end of each verse or stanza.
"For perhaps as much as thirty seconds they kept it up. It was a refrain that was often heard in moments of overwhelming emotion. Partly it was a sort of hymn to the wisdom and majesty of Big Brother, but still more it was an act of self-hypnosis, a deliberate drowning of consciousness by means of rhythmic noise."
- 2 the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers wordnet
- 3 A much repeated comment, complaint, or saying. broadly
Verb
- 1 To hold back, to restrain (someone or something). archaic, transitive
"Refrain thy foot from their path."
- 2 choose not to consume wordnet
- 3 To show restraint; to hold oneself back. archaic, reflexive
"And nowe I saye unto you: refrayne youreselves from these men, and let them alone [...]."
- 4 resist doing something wordnet
- 5 To repress (a desire, emotion etc.); to check or curb. archaic, transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To stop oneself from some action or interference; to abstain; to eschew intransitive
"Refrain from these men, and let them alone."
- 7 To abstain from (food or drink). rare, regional, transitive
"Who, requiring a remedy for his gout, received no other counsel than to refrain cold drink."
Antonyms
Example
"Please refrain from smoking, while the non-smoking signs are on."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "refrain"?
Common synonyms include: chorus, abandon, abjure, abort, abstain, abstain.
How do you use "refrain" in a sentence?
Please refrain from smoking, while the non-smoking signs are on.
How do you pronounce "refrain"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refrener, Old French refrener (from Latin refrenare), and influenced by Old French refraindre (from Latin refringere).
Etymology 2
From French refrain, from the Old French verb refraindre (“to break off, repeat”), from Latin re- (“back, again”) + frangō (“break”); compare Occitan refranhs (“a refrain”), refranher (“to repeat”). See refract and the verb refrain.