Please refrain from smoking, while the non-smoking signs are on.
Source: tatoeba (18822)
Refrain
/ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/
Synonyms for "refrain" (281 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (57)
Strong matches (84)
codicilcolophonconclusionconsequenceconstraincontinuancecontinuationcoupletcurbcut it outdenydescantdesistdevelopmentdiscontinuedispense withdistichdittodivisiondo without
Show 37 more words
double takedrop itdying wordsendenvoiepilogueepodeeschewexpositionfalderalfigurefolderolfollow throughfollow upfollow-throughfollow-upforbearforgogive overgive uphaltharmonic closehave done withheptastichhexastichholdhold aloof fromhold backhold offinhibitinterludeintermezzointerruptintroductory phrasekeepkeep backkeep from
Noun(9 words)
Verb(17 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (140)
keep in handknock it offlast wordlast wordslaylay offleave offleave well enough alonelet alonelet go bylet well enough alonelinemeasuremelodiamelodic linemelodymonostichmotifmovementmusical phrase
Show 89 more words
musical sentencenever touchnot touchnot usenoteoctastichoctaveoctetornamentottava rimapartparthian shotparting shotpass uppassagepentastichperiodperorationphrasepostfacepostfixpostludepostscriptpsquatrainquitrefrain fromrelinquishrenouncerepeatrepetendreprisereserveresolutionresponserestrainrhyme royalritornellosavescrubsecond thoughtsectionseptetsequelsequelasequelaesequelantsequentsequitursestetsextetshunsolosolo partsongsoprano partsparespenserian stanzastand aloofstand aloof fromstanzastatementstavestaystopstrainstrophesubscriptsuffixsupplementswan songsyllabletagtailpiecetercetterminateterza rimatetrastichtrebletriplettristichtunetuttitutti passageundersongvariationversewaivewithhold
Noun(21 words)
leitmotivmantramotifmottoostinatoraetamravehookrefrain linerelyricrepeated phraserepeatsrepetitionsreservesreservingsigehstopsstrainsvampingvampswithhold
Show 1 more word
Determiner(3 words)
no forceno labelno tearing
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: chorus, abandon, abjure, abort, abstain.
- Sentence evidence is available for refrain, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "refrain".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "refrain"
Keep "refrain" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "refrain" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "refrain", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "refrain" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
17 entriesavoidancechoosedirectivehold outinstructionmusicoptpart of songpreferresistrestraintrhetorical deviceself-controlstand firmtextual elementtextual feature
Showing 16 of 17 words.
More specific
13 entriescatchphrasechorusdaylong fastdietingexplicit requestformal cautionhookleitmotifpartial fastpolite directiverecurrent linesobrietytemperance
Collocations
9 entriescatchy refrainformal refrainmelodic refrainmusical refrainrefrain linerefrain sectionrepeated refrainrhythmic refrainstandard refrain
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
39 translations across 21 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- اِمْتَنَعَ verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- saqınmaq verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Bulgarian
1 entries- въздържам се verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 戒除 verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- 避免 verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Czech
4 entries- upustit verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- vyhnout se verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- vyvarovat se verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- zdržet se verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Danish
2 entries- afholde sig verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- afstå verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Dutch
1 entries- zich onthouden verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Finnish
1 entries- pidättyä verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
French
1 entries- s'abstenir verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
German
4 entries- Abstand nehmen verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- absehen verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- sich enthalten verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- sich zurückhalten verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Italian
1 entries- astenersi verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Japanese
2 entries- 差し控える verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- 慎む verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Latin
1 entries- parcō verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Māori
1 entries- wainamu verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- avholde seg verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- avstå verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Polish
2 entries- powstrzymać się verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- powstrzymywać się verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Portuguese
1 entries- abster-se (de) verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Slovene
1 entries- vzdržati se verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Spanish
3 entries- abstenerse verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- inhibirse verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- prescindir verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Swedish
3 entries- avhålla sig verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- avstå verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- låta bli verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Ukrainian
2 entries- утри́матися verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
- утри́муватися verb (to abstain (from) — see also abstain)
Sample sentences
20 total sentences available.
Please refrain from speaking without permission.
Source: tatoeba (19383)
Please refrain from smoking without permission.
Source: tatoeba (19387)
Please refrain from smoking.
Source: tatoeba (19931)
Showing 4 of 20 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "refrain"?
Closest matches include chorus, abandon, abjure, abort, abstain.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "refrain"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.