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- DictionaryRe·strain/rəˈstrān/
verb
- 1. prevent (someone or something) from doing something; keep under control or within limits: "he had to be restrained from walking out of the meeting"
1. to hold (someone) back from some action, esp by force. 2. to deprive (someone) of liberty, as by imprisonment. 3. to limit or restrict. [C14 restreyne, from Old French restreindre, from Latin rēstringere to draw back tightly, from re- + stringere to draw, bind; see strain 1] reˈstrainable adj.
C1. to control the actions or behavior of someone by force, especially in order to stop them from doing something, or to limit the growth or force of something: When he started fighting, it took four police officers to restrain him. She was so angry that she could hardly restrain her self.
Restrain means to hold yourself back, which is exactly what you'd have to do if, after weeks of dieting, you found yourself face to face with a dessert case filled with pies, cakes, and cookies. Restrain can also mean to restrict or hold back someone else, to prevent someone from doing what they're intending to do.
restrain something to stop something that is growing or increasing from becoming too large synonym bring/get/keep something under control The government is taking steps to restrain inflation. See restrain in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Check pronunciation: restrain.
restrain something to stop something that is growing or increasing from becoming too large synonym bring/get/keep something under control. The government is taking steps to restrain inflation. Economic growth first induced, then restrained population growth.
verb (used with object) to hold back from action; keep in check or under control; repress: to restrain one's temper. to deprive of liberty, as by arrest or the like. to limit or hamper the activity, growth, or effect of: to restrain trade with Cuba. See more. Recommended videos. Powered by AnyClip. AnyClip Product Demo 2022.
to stop someone doing something, sometimes by using force: He became violent and had to be physically restrained. [ + from + doing sth ] I had to restrain myself from shouting at him. restrain verb [T] (LIMIT) to limit something: to restrain arms sales. (Definition of restrain from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
