Definitions for restrain
rɪˈstreɪnre·strain

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.0 / 3 votes

1. restrain, keep, keep back, hold backverb

   keep under control; keep in check

   "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool"

2. restrict, restrain, trammel, limit, bound, confine, throttleverb

   place limits on (extent or access)

   "restrict the use of this parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with your friends"

3. restrain, confine, holdverb

   to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement

   "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"

4. restrain, encumber, cumber, constrainverb

   hold back

5. intimidate, restrainverb

   to compel or deter by or as if by threats

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. restrainverb

   To control or keep in check.

2. restrainverb

   To deprive of liberty.

3. restrainverb

   To restrict or limit.

4. Etymology: restraindre, from restringo

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To RESTRAINverb

   Etymology: restreindre, Fr. restringo, Lat.

   1. To withold; to keep in.

   If she restrain’d the riots of your followers,
   ’Tis to such wholsome end as clears her. William Shakespeare.

   The gods will plague thee,
   That thou restrain’st from me the duty, which
   To a mother’s part belongs. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   2. To repress; to keep in awe.

   The law of nature would be in vain, if there were no body that, in the state of nature, had a power to execute that law, and thereby preserve the innocent and restrain offenders. John Locke.

   That all men may be restrained from doing hurt to one another, the execution of the law of nature is in that state put into every man’s hand, whereby every one has a right to punish the transgressors to such a degree as may hinder its violation. John Locke.

   3. To suppress; to hinder; to repress.

   A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
   Merciful pow’rs!
   Restrain in me the cursed thoughts, that nature
   Gives way to in repose. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   Compassion gave him up to tears
   A space, till firmer thoughts restrain’d excess. John Milton.

   4. To abridge.

   Me of my lawful pleasure she restrain’d,
   And pray’d me oft forbearance. William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.

   Though they two were committed, at least restrained of their liberty, yet this discovered too much of the humour of the court. Edward Hyde, b. ii.

   5. To hold in.

   His horse, with a half checked bit, and a headstall of sheep’s leather, which being restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repaired with knots. William Shakespeare.

   6. To limit; to confine.

   We restrain it to those only duties, which all men, by force of natural wit, understand to be such duties as concern all men. Richard Hooker, b. i. s. 8.

   Upon what ground can a man promise himself a future repentance, who cannot promise himself a futurity? whose life depends upon his breath, and is so restrained to the present, that it cannot secure to itself the reversion of the very next minute. Robert South, Sermons.

   Not only a metaphysical or natural, but a moral universality also is to be restrained by a part of the predicate; as all the Italians are politicians; that is, those among the Italians, who are politicians, are subtle politicians; i. e. they are generally so. Isaac Watts, Logick.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. restrain

   To restrain is to hold back from action, keep in check or under control, or to deprive of liberty or freedom of movement, typically in order to prevent or limit actions or activities. It can also refer to the act of limiting or restricting someone's personal freedom or rights.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Restrainverb

   to draw back again; to hold back from acting, proceeding, or advancing, either by physical or moral force, or by any interposing obstacle; to repress or suppress; to keep down; to curb

2. Restrainverb

   to draw back toghtly, as a rein

3. Restrainverb

   to hinder from unlimited enjoiment; to abridge

4. Restrainverb

   to limit; to confine; to restrict

5. Restrainverb

   to withhold; to forbear

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Restrain

   rē-strān′, v.t. to hold back: to check: to withhold, to forbid: to hinder: to limit.—adj. Restrain′able, capable of being restrained.—adv. Restrain′edly.—n. Restrain′er (phot.), a chemical used to retard the act of the developer in an overexposed plate, &c.—p.adj. Restrain′ing.—ns. Restrain′ment; Restraint′, act of restraining: state of being restrained: want of liberty: limitation: hinderance: reserve; Restraint′-bed, -chair, used for the insane. [O. Fr. restraindre—L. restringĕre, restrictum—re-, back, stringĕre, to draw tightly.]

Anagrams for restrain »

1. retrains

2. strainer

3. terrains

4. trainers

5. transire

6. arrestin

How to pronounce restrain?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say restrain in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of restrain in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of restrain in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of restrain in a Sentence

1. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:

   Man is not born to solve the problem of the universe, but to find out what he has to do; and to restrain himself within the limits of his comprehension.

2. Thomas Jefferson:

   A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement.

3. Ed Mills:

   We view the president's 2020 budget proposal as a political priority-setting document. ... Congressional dynamics will mostly restrain requested domestic spending cuts and major changes to authorization language.

4. Darias Jonker:

   There will still be a significant fightback from the Zuma faction which will restrain Ramaphosa.

5. Steve Baker:

   We are all absolutely determined that we are going to be in a good shape to govern, that is a very, very strong binding force which will restrain behavior that would otherwise create irreparable rifts.

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=restrain
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Restrain
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=restrain
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restrain
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=restrain