restrain

restrain — verb

1. to limit or control the growth, increase, or power of something, especially so t

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to limit or control the growth, increase, or power of something, especially so that it does not become too great or too strong.

Example

The central bank raised interest rates to restrain inflation.

restrain + economic variable (inflation, growth, costs)

New environmental rules aim to restrain the amount of waste that factories produce.

Common collocations
  • restrain inflation
  • restrain growth
  • restrain spending
  • restrain the spread of
  • restrain costs
Synonyms
  • limit

    more general and neutral; implies setting a boundary rather than actively holding back

  • curb

    stronger sense of stopping an undesirable trend; often used for costs, violence, or bad habits

  • check

    suggests slowing down or stopping progress, often used for disease, fire, or population growth

  • contain

    implies keeping something within boundaries, especially a problem that could spread

Antonyms
  • encourage

    to actively support growth or increase

  • promote

    to help something develop or become more popular or widespread

Grammar Patterns

restrain + noun phrase

Common Mistakes

The government tried to restrain the economy from growing too fast.
The government tried to restrain the growth of the economy.
'restrain' takes the thing being limited ('growth'), not the thing you prevent from growing ('economy').

2. to hold back a strong feeling or keep yourself from acting on an urge, especiall

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to hold back a strong feeling or keep yourself from acting on an urge, especially when doing so would be unwise or cause problems.

Example

Lucía had to restrain herself from laughing during the solemn ceremony.

restrain + reflexive + from + -ing

Christopher could not restrain his curiosity and peeked into the locked room.

restrain + emotion noun (curiosity, anger, excitement)

Common collocations
  • restrain yourself
  • restrain one's anger
  • restrain one's curiosity
  • restrain one's excitement
  • restrain a cry
  • restrain tears
Synonyms
  • control

    broader meaning; not limited to holding back — can mean managing or directing

  • hold back

    less formal, more conversational; often used for emotions and tears

  • suppress

    stronger and more forceful; suggests stopping something completely, sometimes with effort or force

  • contain

    suggests keeping a feeling inside so it does not affect others

Antonyms
  • release

    to let feelings or actions come out freely

  • indulge

    to allow yourself to do or have something you enjoy

Grammar Patterns

restrain + reflexive pronoun + from + -ing

restrain + emotion noun

Usage Note

Frequently used with a reflexive pronoun ('restrain yourself/oneself from doing something') when the subject and object are the same person. When the object is an emotion ('restrain anger/curiosity/excitement'), the focus is on keeping the feeling from becoming visible.

Common Mistakes

I restrained to laugh at the joke.
I restrained myself from laughing at the joke.
To stop your own action, add a reflexive pronoun before 'from + -ing'.

3. to stop a person or an animal from moving freely or acting in a certain way, esp

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to stop a person or an animal from moving freely or acting in a certain way, especially by holding them back with physical force or by using special equipment.

Example

Two police officers had to restrain the woman until she calmed down.

authority figure + physical restraint of a person

The zookeepers carefully restrained the injured deer before treating its wound.

Common collocations
  • physically restrain
  • restrain by force
  • restrain with handcuffs
  • restrain a prisoner
  • restrain an animal
Synonyms
  • hold back

    less formal; can be physical or non-physical

  • subdue

    stronger, implies bringing under control by force, often a violent struggle

  • detain

    formal, legal; means keeping someone somewhere, not necessarily by physical force

  • pin down

    specific: holding someone flat on the ground so they cannot get up

Antonyms
  • free

    to let someone or something stop being held or trapped

  • release

    to let someone or something go after being held

Grammar Patterns

restrain + person/animal

passive: be restrained

Usage Note

The subject is usually a person in a position of authority (police, guard, doctor, parent) or a device designed to limit movement. The passive construction ('someone was restrained') is common in formal and legal contexts.

Common Mistakes

The police arrested the man to restrain him.
The police had to physically restrain the man before they could arrest him.
'arrest' and 'restrain' are different: arrest means to take someone into legal custody, while restrain means to stop them from moving.

Word family

  • restraint
    nounB2
  • restrained
    adjectiveB2
  • restraining
    adjectiveC1
  • unrestrained
    adjectiveC1
  • restrainer
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All five words can describe keeping a feeling or reaction inside, but they differ in intensity and style. 'Restrain' is the most precise for actively stopping yourself from acting: you want to do something but choose not to. 'Control' is broader — it can mean managing an emotion over time rather than stopping a single impulse. 'Hold back' is less formal and more physical in feel, often used for tears or laughter ('she held back her tears'). 'Suppress' is stronger and implies forcing a feeling down completely, sometimes with long-term effort or in a way that feels unhealthy. 'Contain' suggests preventing a feeling from spreading to others ('he contained his frustration so the team stayed positive'). For everyday situations, 'restrain yourself' and 'hold back' are the most natural choices; 'suppress' and 'contain' are more formal and carry extra overtones of force or strategy.

restrain ↗control ↗hold back ↗suppress ↗contain ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • restrain from doing
  • restrain oneself from

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Comes from Latin 'restringere', meaning 'to draw back tightly or bind fast', formed from 're-' (back) and 'stringere' (to draw tight, to bind). The word entered English through Old French 'restreindre' in the 1300s. Over time the meaning moved from the physical act of tying up (literal binding) to the figurative sense of holding back emotions, growth, or actions.