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refrain - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | refrain |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | chorus of musical piece |
| Synonyms: | burden, melody, music, song, strain, theme, tune, undersong |
| Notes: | refrain means to choose not to do something or partake of something; restrain means to immobilize by force or to forbid an action |
| Main Entry: | refrain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | do without; keep from doing |
| Synonyms: | abstain, arrest, avoid, cease, check, curb, desist, eschew, forbear, forgo, halt, inhibit, interrupt, keep, leave off, pass, quit, renounce, resist, restrain, stop, withhold, be temperate, give up, go on the wagon, not do, pass up, sit out, take the cure, take the pledge |
| Antonyms: | do, go ahead, jump in |
| Main Entry: | abnegate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | renounce |
| Synonyms: | abstain, decline, forbear, forgo, refrain, reject, give up |
| Main Entry: | abstain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hold back from doing |
| Synonyms: | abjure, abnegate, avoid, cease, constrain, curb, decline, deny oneself, do without, eschew, evade, fast, fence-sit, forbear, forgo, give the go by, give up, go on the wagon, keep from, pass, pass up, quit, refrain, refuse, renounce, shun, sit on one's hands, sit on the fence, sit out, spurn, starve, stop, take the cure, take the pledge, withhold |
| Antonyms: | indulge, use |
| Main Entry: | catchword |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | motto |
| Synonyms: | byword, catchphrase, household word, maxim, password, refrain, shibboleth, slogan, watchword |
| Main Entry: | cease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stop, conclude |
| Synonyms: | back off, break off, close, close out, culminate, desist, die, discontinue, drop, end, fail, finish, halt, knock off*, leave off, quit, refrain, shut down, stay, surcease, terminate, wind up*, bring to an end, call it a day, call it quits, come to an end, cut it out, give over, intermit, pack in, quit cold turkey |
| Antonyms: | begin, commence, continue, go, initiate, start, keep on |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | curb |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | repress, restrict |
| Synonyms: | abstain, bit, bottle up*, bridle, check, clog, constrain, contain, control, cook*, deny, fetter, hamper, hinder, hobble, hold back, ice*, impede, inhibit, leash, manacle, moderate, muzzle, refrain, restrain, retard, scrub*, shackle, subdue, suppress, tame, tie, tie up, withhold, box in, bring to screeching halt, cool down, cool off, entrammel, hog-tie, hold down, hold in, keep lid on, keep tight rein on, rein in, send up |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, encourage, foster, help |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | eschew |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | have nothing to do with |
| Synonyms: | abandon, abjure, abstain, avoid, double, duck, elude, evade, forgo, forswear, refrain, renounce, sacrifice, shun, shy, give up, have no truck with, let well enough alone, not touch, shy away from, steer clear of, swear off* |
| Antonyms: | embrace, like, love |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | fast |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | go without food |
| Synonyms: | abstain, diet, forbear, refrain, deny oneself, famish, go hungry, not eat, starve |
| Antonyms: | eat, glut, gorge, stuff |
| Main Entry: | forbear |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | resist the temptation to |
| Synonyms: | abstain, avoid, bridle, cease, curb, decline, desist, escape, eschew, evade, forgo, hold back*, inhibit, keep, omit, pause, refrain, restrain, sacrifice, shun, stop, withhold, go easy, keep from |
| Antonyms: | continue, indulge, involve, partake, use |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | forgo |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give up, do without |
| Synonyms: | abandon, abdicate, abjure, abstain, cede, desist, eschew, forbear, forsake, give in, pass, quit, refrain, relinquish, renounce, resign, resist, sacrifice, surrender, waive, yield, go on the wagon, leave alone, leave out, pack in, pass on, pass up, sit out, swear off*, take the cure, take the oath |
| Antonyms: | continue, indulge, keep, use |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | hold back/hold off |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | repress |
| Synonyms: | bit, bridle, check, control, curb, defer, delay, deny, forbear, inhibit, keep, postpone, prevent, put off, refrain, refuse, restrain, stop, suppress, withhold, hold down, hold in, keep back, keep out |
| Antonyms: | reveal, let go |
| Main Entry: | leave off |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stop |
| Synonyms: | abstain, break off, cease, desist, discontinue, end, halt, knock off*, quit, refrain, surcease, give over, give up |
| Antonyms: | begin, continue, restart |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | litany |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | recital of items, often part of religious services |
| Synonyms: | account, catalogue, enumeration, invocation, list, petition, prayer, recitation, refrain, repetition, supplication, tale |
| Main Entry: | melody |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | harmony, tune |
| Synonyms: | air, aria, carillon, chant, chime, concord, consonance, descant, euphony, inflection, lay, lyric, measure, music, refrain, resonance, run, song, strain, theme, unison, assonance, diapason, melodiousness, musicality, tunefulness |
| Antonyms: | cacophony, disharmony |
| Main Entry: | music |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | sounds that are pleasant, harmonized |
| Synonyms: | a cappella, acoustic, air, chamber, classical, folk, fusion, hard rock, harmony, hymn, instrumental, jazz, measure, melody, modern, piece, popular, rap, refrain, rock, singing, song, soul, strain, swing, tune, bebop, bop, heavy metal, opera, plainsong, ragtime, rock and roll |
| Antonyms: | silence |
| Main Entry: | resist |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | withstand, oppose |
| Synonyms: | abide, antagonize, assail, assault, battle, bear, brook, buck, check, combat, confront, contend, continue, counteract, curb, defy, dispute, duel, endure, fight back, forbear, forgo, hinder, hold, maintain, persevere, persist, prevent, refrain, refuse, remain, repel, stay, stonewall*, suffer, thwart, traverse, turn down, weather, abstain from, countervail, die hard, hold off, hold out against, keep from, leave alone, put up a fight, remain firm, stand up to, struggle against |
| Antonyms: | comply, conform, go along |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | song |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | melody sung or played with musical instrument |
| Synonyms: | air, anthem, aria, ballad, carol, chant, chorus, ditty, expression, golden oldie, hymn, lay, lullaby, lyric, melody, number, piece, poem, psalm, refrain, rock, round, shanty, strain, tune, verse, vocal, canticle, chorale, oldie, opera, rock and roll |
| Main Entry: | withhold |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep back |
| Synonyms: | abstain, bridle, check, clam up, conceal, constrain, curb, deduct, deny, detain, disallow, dummy up, hide, hold, hold back, hold down, hold out, hold out on, inhibit, keep, keep secret, keep to oneself, keep under one's hat, keep under wraps, kill, refrain, refuse, repress, reserve, resist, restrain, retain, sit on, spike, stop oneself, suppress |
| Antonyms: | let go, release |
| Main Entry: | hold back |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | repress |
| Synonyms: | bit, bridle, check, control, curb, defer, delay, deny, forbear, inhibit, keep, postpone, prevent, put off, refrain, refuse, restrain, stop, suppress, withhold, hold down, hold in, hold off, keep back, keep out |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
