{
    "term": "refrain",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "refrain",
            "heSheIt": "refrains"
        },
        "pastSimple": "refrained",
        "pastParticiple": "refrained",
        "ingForm": "refraining"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to stop yourself from doing something, especially something that you want to do",
            "sensetop": "refrain (from something)refrain from doing something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They appealed to the protesters to refrain from violence.",
                    "contextForm": "refrain (from something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Both sides should refrain from actions that would make the situation worse."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Please refrain from smoking.",
                    "contextForm": "refrain from doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He has refrained from criticizing the government in public."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He deliberately refrained from expressing his opinion on the matter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I refrained from laughing."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Priscilla could barely refrain from clapping her hands together."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "desist",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["carefully", "deliberately", "wisely"],
                "preposition": ["from"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈfreɪn/",
                "audio": "re/refrain/refrain__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈfreɪnz/",
                "audio": "re/refrain/refrains__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈfreɪnd/",
                "audio": "re/refrain/refrained__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈfreɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "re/refrain/refraining__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈfreɪn/",
                "audio": "re/refrain/refrain__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈfreɪnz/",
                "audio": "re/refrain/refrains__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈfreɪnd/",
                "audio": "re/refrain/refrained__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/rɪˈfreɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "re/refrain/refraining__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "verb Middle English (in the sense ‘restrain a thought or feeling’): from Old French refrener, from Latin refrenare, from re- (expressing intensive force) + frenum ‘bridle’."
}