CEFR B2

refraining

verb

Meaning

The act of stopping oneself from doing something; holding back from an action or impulse.

Examples

Refraining from judgment allowed her to listen more openly to their perspective.
The doctor advised refraining from strenuous exercise for a few weeks after the surgery.

Synonyms: abstaining, desisting, forbearing

Learn English that separates you from the crowd with Anaversity: private classes, Ani practice, Campus tools, and a public English-learning community.

refraining (B2)

verb

Pronunciation: rɪˈfreɪnɪŋ

Definition

The act of stopping oneself from doing something; holding back from an action or impulse.

Examples

Refraining from judgment allowed her to listen more openly to their perspective.
The doctor advised refraining from strenuous exercise for a few weeks after the surgery.
Despite the temptation, he managed to continue refraining from smoking.

How to Use refraining

refrain from (prepositional phrase): To hold back or abstain from a particular action or behavior. — "Students are asked to refrain from using their phones during class."

Synonyms of refraining

Words with a similar meaning to refraining:

Antonyms of refraining

Words with the opposite meaning to refraining:

Browse the full Anaversity dictionary