verb
Meaning 1
To control or keep in check.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
restrain
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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ɹɪˈstɹeɪn/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -eɪn
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CMU ARPABET: R IY0 S T R EY1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To deprive of liberty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To restrict or limit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- He was restrained by the straitjacket.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To strain again.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
place limits on (extent or access)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- restrict the use of this parking lot
- limit the time you can spend with your friends
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: restrict, trammel, limit, bound, confine, throttle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: control, hold in, hold, contain, check, curb, moderate
Narrower terms: reduce, tighten, tie, gate, draw the line, draw a line, mark off, mark out, rule, harness, rein, baffle, regulate, hamper, halter, cramp, strangle, stiffen, tighten up, constrain, clamp down, crack down, inhibit, restrain, encumber, cumber
verb
Meaning 6
hold back
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: encumber, cumber, constrain
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: restrict, restrain, trammel, limit, bound, confine, throttle
Narrower terms: bridle, curb, clog
verb
Meaning 7
to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- This holds the local until the express passengers change trains
- About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade
- The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center
- The terrorists held the journalists for ransom
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: confine, hold
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: disable, disenable, incapacitate
Narrower terms: tie down, tie up, bind, truss, fetter, shackle, enchain, pinion, impound, pound, pound up, pen up, fold, ground
verb
Meaning 8
to compel or deter by or as if by threats
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: intimidate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: discourage
Narrower terms: daunt, dash, scare off, pall, frighten off, scare away, frighten away, scare
verb
Meaning 9
keep under control; keep in check
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- suppress a smile
- Keep your temper
- keep your cool
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: keep, keep back, hold back
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: inhibit, bottle up, suppress
Narrower terms: hold, confine, inhibit, bottle up, suppress, control, hold in, contain, check, curb, moderate
History
Etymology
From Middle English restreinen, from Old French restreindre, from Latin rēstringere (“fasten, tighten”).
From re- + strain.
Across languages
Translations
117 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: զսպել (zspel) — to control or keep in check
- Bulgarian: сдържам (sdǎržam) — to control or keep in check
- Bulgarian: въздържам (vǎzdǎržam) — to control or keep in check
- Catalan: contenir — to control or keep in check
- Catalan: retenir — to control or keep in check
- Catalan: reprimir — to control or keep in check
- Chinese Mandarin: 克制 (kèzhì) — to control or keep in check
- Czech: mít pod kontrolou — to control or keep in check
- Dutch: beteugelen — to control or keep in check
- Finnish: hillitä — to control or keep in check
- Finnish: hallita — to control or keep in check
- French: retenir — to control or keep in check
- Galician: cavidar — to control or keep in check
- Galician: reprimir — to control or keep in check
- German: zügeln — to control or keep in check
- Ancient Greek: κωλύω (kōlúō) — to control or keep in check
- Ancient Greek: ἐρύκω (erúkō) — to control or keep in check
- Irish: coisc — to control or keep in check
- Italian: trattenere — to control or keep in check
- Italian: sorvegliare — to control or keep in check
- Italian: trattenersi — to control or keep in check
- Latin: reprimō — to control or keep in check
- Latin: teneo — to control or keep in check
- Latin: refrēnō — to control or keep in check
- Māori: whakatina — to control or keep in check
- Māori: whakatōnga — to control or keep in check
- Māori: nati — to control or keep in check
- Māori: nanati — to control or keep in check
- Māori: whakaita — to control or keep in check
- Norwegian: tøyla — to control or keep in check
- Occitan: mestrejar — to control or keep in check
- Occitan: reténer — to control or keep in check
- Occitan: conténer — to control or keep in check
- Portuguese: conter — to control or keep in check
- Portuguese: coibir — to control or keep in check
- Portuguese: deter — to control or keep in check
- Romanian: reține — to control or keep in check
- Romanian: înfrâna — to control or keep in check
- Russian: сде́рживать (sdérživatʹ) — to control or keep in check
- Russian: сдержа́ть (sderžátʹ) — to control or keep in check
- Russian: обу́здывать (obúzdyvatʹ) — to control or keep in check
- Russian: обузда́ть (obuzdátʹ) — to control or keep in check
- Scottish Gaelic: srian — to control or keep in check
- Spanish: refrenar — to control or keep in check
- Spanish: restreñir — to control or keep in check
- Thai: ควบคุม (kûuap-kum) — to control or keep in check
- Ukrainian: стри́мувати (strýmuvaty) — to control or keep in check
- Bulgarian: задържам (zadǎržam) — to deprive of liberty
- Catalan: retenir — to deprive of liberty
- Chinese Mandarin: 抑 (yì) — to deprive of liberty
- Czech: zbavit svobody — to deprive of liberty
- Czech: omezit — to deprive of liberty
- Dutch: onderdrukken — to deprive of liberty
- Finnish: kukistaa — to deprive of liberty
- French: réprimer — to deprive of liberty
- German: einschränken — to deprive of liberty
- German: behindern — to deprive of liberty
- Hungarian: korlátoz — to deprive of liberty
- Italian: trattenere — to deprive of liberty
- Latin: compescō — to deprive of liberty
- Māori: whakaita — to deprive of liberty
- Occitan: déténer — to deprive of liberty
- Occitan: reténer — to deprive of liberty
- Portuguese: encarcerar — to deprive of liberty
- Portuguese: reprimir — to deprive of liberty
- Romanian: a ține închis — to deprive of liberty
- Romanian: deține — to deprive of liberty
- Romanian: reține — to deprive of liberty
- Russian: заключа́ть (zaključátʹ) — to deprive of liberty
- Russian: заключи́ть (zaključítʹ) — to deprive of liberty
- Russian: заде́рживать (zadérživatʹ) — to deprive of liberty
- Russian: задержа́ть (zaderžátʹ) — to deprive of liberty
- Russian: лиша́ть свобо́ды (lišátʹ svobódy) — to deprive of liberty
- Russian: лиши́ть свобо́ды (lišítʹ svobódy) — to deprive of liberty
- Thai: กักขัง (gàk-kǎng) — to deprive of liberty
- Ukrainian: позбавля́ти во́лі (pozbavljáty vóli) — to deprive of liberty
- Armenian: զսպել (zspel) — to restrict or limit
- Bulgarian: възпирам (vǎzpiram) — to restrict or limit
- Bulgarian: ограничавам (ograničavam) — to restrict or limit
- Catalan: restringir — to restrict or limit
- Czech: oklešťovat — to restrict or limit
- Czech: restringovat — to restrict or limit
- Czech: provést restrikci — to restrict or limit
- Czech: omezit — to restrict or limit
- Dutch: beperken — to restrict or limit
- Dutch: begrenzen — to restrict or limit
- Dutch: beteugelen — to restrict or limit
- Finnish: pidättää — to restrict or limit
- Finnish: rajoittaa — to restrict or limit
- French: restreindre — to restrict or limit
- German: abgrenzen — to restrict or limit
- German: begrenzen — to restrict or limit
- German: eingrenzen — to restrict or limit
- Hungarian: korlátoz — to restrict or limit
- Italian: ridurre — to restrict or limit
- Italian: contenere — to restrict or limit
- Italian: restringere — to restrict or limit
- Italian: limitare — to restrict or limit
- Italian: delimitare — to restrict or limit
- Lithuanian: varžyti — to restrict or limit
- Māori: tautāwhi — to restrict or limit
- Portuguese: restringir — to restrict or limit
- Portuguese: conter — to restrict or limit
- Romanian: restrânge — to restrict or limit
- Romanian: opri — to restrict or limit
- Romanian: împiedica — to restrict or limit
- Romanian: îngrădi — to restrict or limit
- Russian: сде́рживать (sdérživatʹ) — to restrict or limit
- Russian: сдержа́ть (sderžátʹ) — to restrict or limit
- Russian: ограни́чивать (ograníčivatʹ) — to restrict or limit
- Russian: ограни́чить (ograníčitʹ) — to restrict or limit
- Scottish Gaelic: srian — to restrict or limit
- Thai: ยับยั้ง (yáp-yáng) — to restrict or limit
- Thai: รั้ง (ráng) — to restrict or limit
- Thai: รั้งตัว — to restrict or limit
- Ukrainian: стри́мувати (strýmuvaty) — to restrict or limit
- Ukrainian: обме́жувати (obméžuvaty) — to restrict or limit
Real reading context