noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪn
CMU ARPABET:R IH0 F R EY1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The chorus or burden of a song repeated at the end of each verse or stanza.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A much repeated comment, complaint, or saying.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: old saw
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To hold back, to restrain (someone or something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To show restraint; to hold oneself back.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, reflexive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To repress (a desire, emotion etc.); to check or curb.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hold
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To stop oneself from some action or interference; to abstain; to eschew
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
July 5, 1731, Jonathan Swift, letter to Vanessa If you knew how I struggle for a little health, what uneasiness I am at in riding and walking, and refraining from every thing agreeable to my taste
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To abstain from (food or drink).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare, regional, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chorus
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: music
Narrower terms: tra-la, tra-la-la
9
verb
Meaning 9
choose not to consume
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
I abstain from alcohol
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: abstain, desist
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: fast, keep off, avoid, teetotal
10
verb
Meaning 10
resist doing something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
He refrained from hitting him back
she could not forbear weeping
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: forbear
Antonyms: act
Narrower terms: leave, leave alone, leave behind, let it go, abstain, spare, save, forbear, hold back, help oneself, help, stand by, sit out
History
Etymology
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.
Inherited from Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refrener, Old French refrener, from Latin refrēnāre, from re- + frēnāre, from frēnum.
Across languages
Translations
162 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
refren
— burden of song
Arabic:
لَازِمَة
(lāzima)
— burden of song
Arabic:
قَرَار
(qarār)
— burden of song
Armenian:
կրկներգ
(krknerg)
— burden of song
Azerbaijani:
nəqərat
— burden of song
Belarusian:
прыпе́ў
(prypjéw)
— burden of song
Belarusian:
рэфрэ́н
(refrén)
— burden of song
Bulgarian:
при́пев
(prípev)
— burden of song
Bulgarian:
рефре́н
(refrén)
— burden of song
Catalan:
tornada
— burden of song
Chinese Mandarin:
副歌
(fùgē)
— burden of song
Czech:
refrén
— burden of song
Danish:
refræn
— burden of song
Danish:
omkvæd
— burden of song
Dutch:
refrein
— burden of song
Erzya:
мороютко
(morojutko)
— burden of song
Esperanto:
refreno
— burden of song
Estonian:
refrään
— burden of song
Finnish:
kertosäe
— burden of song
French:
refrain
— burden of song
Galician:
trebello
— burden of song
Galician:
lelia
— burden of song
Galician:
fao
— burden of song
Galician:
retrouso
— burden of song
Georgian:
რეფრენი
(repreni)
— burden of song
Georgian:
მისამღერი
(misamɣeri)
— burden of song
German:
Refrain
— burden of song
German:
Kehrreim
— burden of song
Greek:
επωδός
(epodós)
— burden of song
Hebrew:
פִּזְמוֹן
(pizmón)
— burden of song
Hebrew:
רֶפְרֵן
(refrén)
— burden of song
Hungarian:
refrén
— burden of song
Icelandic:
stef
— burden of song
Ido:
refreno
— burden of song
Irish:
loinneog
— burden of song
Italian:
ritornello
— burden of song
Japanese:
リフレーン
(rifurēn)
— burden of song
Japanese:
繰り返し句
(kurikaeshiku)
— burden of song
Kazakh:
қайырма
(qaiyrma)
— burden of song
Khmer:
ឆា៎
(cha)
— burden of song
Khmer:
សាដាន
(saadaan)
— burden of song
Korean:
후렴
(huryeom)
— burden of song
Korean:
리프레인
(ripeurein)
— burden of song
Kyrgyz:
кайырма
(kayırma)
— burden of song
Lao:
ອະນຸບົດ
(ʼa nu bot)
— burden of song
Lao:
ສອຽ
(sǭi)
— burden of song
Latvian:
refrēns
— burden of song
Lithuanian:
priedainis
— burden of song
Lithuanian:
refrenas
— burden of song
Macedonian:
рефре́н
(refrén)
— burden of song
Malay:
korus
— burden of song
Māori:
korihi
— burden of song
Norman:
èrfrain
— burden of song
Norwegian Bokmål:
refreng
— burden of song
Norwegian Bokmål:
omkved
— burden of song
Norwegian Nynorsk:
refreng
— burden of song
Norwegian Nynorsk:
omkvede
— burden of song
Old Norse:
stef
— burden of song
Polish:
refren
— burden of song
Portuguese:
refrão
— burden of song
Romanian:
refren
— burden of song
Russian:
припе́в
(pripév)
— burden of song
Russian:
рефре́н
(refrén)
— burden of song
Scottish Gaelic:
sèist
— burden of song
Serbo-Croatian:
рѐфре̄н
— burden of song
Serbo-Croatian:
при́пев
— burden of song
Serbo-Croatian:
при́пјев
— burden of song
Serbo-Croatian:
rèfrēn
— burden of song
Serbo-Croatian:
prípev
— burden of song
Serbo-Croatian:
prípjev
— burden of song
Slovak:
refrén
— burden of song
Slovene:
refren
— burden of song
Southern Altai:
припев
(pripev)
— burden of song
Spanish:
estribillo
— burden of song
Swedish:
refräng
— burden of song
Swedish:
omkväde
— burden of song
Tagalog:
pabini
— burden of song
Tagalog:
pabinian
— burden of song
Tajik:
нақарот
(naqarot)
— burden of song
Tatar:
кушымта
(quşımta)
— burden of song
Thai:
สร้อย
(sɔ̂i)
— burden of song
Turkish:
nakarat
— burden of song
Ukrainian:
при́спів
(prýspiv)
— burden of song
Ukrainian:
рефре́н
(refrén)
— burden of song
Uzbek:
naqarot
— burden of song
Vietnamese:
điệp khúc
— burden of song
Walloon:
resploe
— burden of song
Walloon:
rifrin
— burden of song
Spanish:
contenerse
— (''reflexive, archaic'') to show restraint; to hold oneself back
Arabic:
اِمْتَنَعَ
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Azerbaijani:
saqınmaq
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Bulgarian:
въздържам се
(vǎzdǎržam se)
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Chinese Mandarin:
避免
(bìmiǎn)
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Chinese Mandarin:
戒除
(jièchú)
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Czech:
zdržet se
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Czech:
vyvarovat se
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Czech:
upustit
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Czech:
vyhnout se
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Danish:
afholde sig
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Danish:
afstå
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Dutch:
zich onthouden
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Finnish:
pidättyä
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
French:
s'abstenir
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
German:
sich enthalten
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
German:
verzichten
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
German:
absehen
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
German:
unterlassen
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
German:
sich zurückhalten
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
German:
Abstand nehmen
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Italian:
astenersi
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Japanese:
慎む
(tsutsushimu)
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Japanese:
差し控える
(sashihikaeru)
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Latin:
parcō
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Māori:
wainamu
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Norwegian Bokmål:
avholde seg
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Norwegian Bokmål:
avstå
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Polish:
powstrzymywać się
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Polish:
powstrzymać się
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Portuguese:
abster-se (de)
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Slovene:
vzdržati se
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Spanish:
abstenerse
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Spanish:
prescindir
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Spanish:
inhibirse
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Swedish:
avhålla sig
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Swedish:
avstå
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Swedish:
låta bli
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Swedish:
dra sig för
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Ukrainian:
утри́муватися
(utrýmuvatysja)
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Ukrainian:
утри́матися
(utrýmatysja)
— to abstain (from) — see also abstain
Arabic:
اِمْتَنَعَ
— to keep oneself from action
Bulgarian:
въздържам се
(vǎzdǎržam se)
— to keep oneself from action
Czech:
zdržet se
— to keep oneself from action
Czech:
vyvarovat se
— to keep oneself from action
Czech:
upustit
— to keep oneself from action
Czech:
vyhnout se
— to keep oneself from action
Dutch:
zich niet inlaten met
— to keep oneself from action
Finnish:
pidättäytyä
— to keep oneself from action
French:
se retenir
— to keep oneself from action
French:
s'abstenir
— to keep oneself from action
German:
sich enthalten
— to keep oneself from action
German:
verzichten
— to keep oneself from action
German:
absehen
— to keep oneself from action
German:
unterlassen
— to keep oneself from action
German:
sich zurückhalten
— to keep oneself from action
German:
Abstand nehmen
— to keep oneself from action
Italian:
contenersi
— to keep oneself from action
Italian:
frenarsi
— to keep oneself from action
Māori:
whakakāti
— to keep oneself from action
Māori:
whakakeke
— to keep oneself from action
Norwegian Bokmål:
avholde seg
— to keep oneself from action
Persian:
خودداری کردن
(xoddâri kardan)
— to keep oneself from action
Polish:
powstrzymywać się
— to keep oneself from action
Polish:
powstrzymać się
— to keep oneself from action
Portuguese:
abster-se
— to keep oneself from action
Slovene:
vzdržati se
— to keep oneself from action
Spanish:
abstenerse de
— to keep oneself from action
Spanish:
retenerse
— to keep oneself from action
Spanish:
contener
— to keep oneself from action
Spanish:
comedirse
— to keep oneself from action
Spanish:
refrenarse de
— to keep oneself from action
Spanish:
enfrenarse de
— to keep oneself from action