Refraining: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when talking about choosing not to do something often as a matter of principle or self-control.

• She is refraining from eating sweets during Lent.
• He is refraining from making any comments about the issue.

Common in formal or health-related contexts to mean avoiding certain actions or substances, usually for moral, ethical, or health reasons.

• He is abstaining from alcohol for a month.
• She decided to abstain from voting on the controversial issue.

Typically used in informal settings to describe a deliberate pause or hesitation, often due to fear or uncertainty.

• She was holding back her tears during the goodbye.
• He's holding back his true feelings about the situation.

Often used to describe controlling one's own or others' physical or emotional actions, sometimes implying forceful control.

• The police were restraining the suspect with cuffs.
• He is restraining himself from reacting angrily.