Basic Details
Word: Refrain
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To stop yourself from doing something you want to do. As a noun, a refrain is the part of a song repeated after each verse.
Synonyms: abstain, avoid, desist, hold back
Antonyms: indulge, continue
How to Spell Refrain
Syllables: re - frain
Tricky part: The long a sound is spelt ai, as in rain, not ane or ein. There is only one f.
Watch out for: refrane, refrein, reffrain
Memory tip: Refrain from going out in the rain: the word ends in r-a-i-n.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Please refrain from talking while the band is playing.
Example 2: I had to refrain from laughing when the teacher's chair squeaked.
Example 3: The children knew the refrain of the folk song by heart.
Fun Fact
The verb and the noun have different roots. The verb comes from Latin refrenare, to hold back a horse with a bridle; the song sense comes through Old French from Latin refringere, to break off.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word refrain as used in the sentence:
Visitors are requested to refrain from feeding the monkeys at the temple steps.
a) enjoy
b) continue
c) abstain
d) start
Show answer
c) abstain. To abstain is to hold yourself back from doing something, which is what the visitors are asked to do.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
During the minute of silence, every student had to nrfriae from moving.
a) retrain
b) terrain
c) fairer
d) refrain
Show answer
d) refrain. Retrain and terrain need a t, and fairer has no n; the jumble holds an f and an n, so it must be refrain.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The choir sang the cheerful refrane after each verse, and soon the whole audience was clapping along with them.
a) refrane
b) cheerful
c) audience
d) choir
Show answer
a) refrane. The long a sound in this word is written ai, just like rain.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In a song, the refrain is the part that ____.
a) has no music behind it
b) comes back after each verse
c) is sung only once at the start
d) is spoken instead of sung
Show answer
b) comes back after each verse
2. Which sign is asking people to refrain from something?
a) Lift is on the left
b) Tickets are sold here
c) Please do not use your phone
d) Open from nine to five
Show answer
c) Please do not use your phone
