restrain

restrain
[[t]rɪstre͟ɪn[/t]]
restrains, restraining, restrained
1) VERB If you restrain someone, you stop them from doing what they intended or wanted to do, usually by using your physical strength.

[V n] Wally gripped my arm, partly to restrain me and partly to reassure me...

[V n] One onlooker had to be restrained by police.

2) VERB If you restrain an emotion or you restrain yourself from doing something, you prevent yourself from showing that emotion or doing what you wanted or intended to do.

[V n] She was unable to restrain her desperate anger...

[V n] Unable to restrain herself, she rose and went to the phone...

[V n from -ing/n] Gladys wanted to ask, `Aren't you angry with him?' But she restrained herself from doing so.

3) VERB To restrain something that is growing or increasing means to prevent it from getting too large.

[V n] The radical 500-day plan was very clear on how it intended to try to restrain inflation...

[V n] In the 1970s, the government tried to restrain corruption.

Syn:
curb, check

English dictionary. 2008.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • restrain — re·strain /ri strān/ vt 1 a: to prevent from doing something see also restraining order at order 3b b: to limit, restrict, or keep under control 2: to moderate or limit …   Law dictionary

  • restrain — re‧strain [rɪˈstreɪn] verb [transitive] to control or limit something that is starting to increase: • tough rules to restrain the creation of monopolies • A cut in consumer credit would restrain an economic recovery. * * * restrain UK US… …   Financial and business terms

  • restrain — restrain, curb, check, bridle, inhibit are comparable when they mean to hold a person or thing back from doing something or from going too far in doing something. Restrain, the most comprehensive of these terms, may imply the intent either to… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • restrain — [ri strān′] vt. [ME restreinen < OFr restreindre < L restringere < re , back + stringere, to draw tight: see STRICT] 1. to hold back from action; check; suppress; curb 2. to keep under control 3. to deprive of physical liberty, as by… …   English World dictionary

  • Restrain — Re*strain , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Restrained}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Restraining}.] [OE. restreinen, F. restreindre, fr. L. restringere, restrictum; pref. re re + stringere to draw, bind, or press together. See {Strain}, v. t., and cf. {Restrict}.] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • restrain — (v.) mid 14c., from stem of O.Fr. restraindre, from L. restringere draw back tightly, confine, check (see RESTRICTION (Cf. restriction)). Related: Restrained; restraining …   Etymology dictionary

  • restrain — [v] keep under control; hold back arrest, bind, bottle up, box up, bridle, chain, check, choke back, circumscribe, confine, constrain, contain, control, cool*, cork*, crack down*, curb, curtail, debar, delimit, detain, deter, direct, fetter, gag …   New thesaurus

  • restrain — ► VERB 1) keep under control or within limits. 2) deprive of freedom of movement or personal liberty. 3) repress (a strong emotion). DERIVATIVES restrainable adjective restrainer noun. ORIGIN Latin restringere tie back …   English terms dictionary

  • restrain — verb ADVERB ▪ barely ▪ I barely restrained myself from hitting him. ▪ properly ▪ The horse must be properly restrained in a location where it would not hurt itself. ▪ forcibly …   Collocations dictionary

  • restrain — transitive verb Etymology: Middle English restraynen, from Anglo French restreindre, from Latin restringere to restrain, restrict, from re + stringere to bind tight more at strain Date: 14th century 1. a. to prevent from doing, exhibiting, or… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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