What does refraining mean?
“Refraining” is the present-participle form of “refrain,” meaning to abstain from an action, impulse, or pleasure. It is especially common in phrases such as “refraining from drinking,” “refraining from interrupting,” and “refraining from violence,” where it indicates deliberate self-restraint. The wording is formal but broadly understood in British and American English, and it often implies a conscious choice rather than a mere inability to act. “Refraining” is useful in descriptions of sustained or repeated restraint, especially with auxiliaries such as “kept” and “is.” It is generally more purposeful than “avoiding” and more ceremonious than simply saying “not doing.” Although it sounds familiar, the word has a long history: its core verb came through French from Latin, where it was associated with restraining or holding back. The form also shares its pronunciation with the musical “refrain,” a repeated phrase that returns at intervals in a song.
verbAbstaining deliberately from an action, impulse, speech, or pleasure. As the present participle of “refrain,” it is especially common in the construction “refrain from” followed by a noun or gerund.
- Deliberately abstaining from an action, impulse, speech, or pleasure, especially by restraining oneself.
"He refrained from interrupting, allowing the speaker to finish."
"He refrained from interrupting, allowing the speaker to finish."
"She kept refraining from laughing, though the joke was irresistible."
A song’s refrain repeats, while a person’s refraining holds them back: the same sound, opposite energy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does refraining come from?
“Refraining” is the present participle of “refrain,” whose sense meaning to abstain developed in Middle English. The verb came through Anglo-French from Latin “refrinere,” formed from “re-” and “frangere,” meaning “to break,” with the overall sense of restraining or holding back. “Refraction,” “refractile,” and “refrangible” are related English words from the same Latin root, although their senses concern bending or breaking rather than abstention.
Related word forms
How refraining is actually used
“Refraining” is the present-participle form of “refrain,” not normally a standalone dictionary headword. It usually requires a governing verb or auxiliary, as in “kept refraining” or “is refraining,” and “refrain from” is its standard construction. The word has a formal or ceremonious tone and suggests conscious moral or practical restraint.
Easily confused with refraining
As a verb, “refrain” means to hold oneself back, while “refraining” is its present-participle form; as a noun, “refrain” can also mean a repeatedly repeated musical or verbal phrase.