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refrain

/ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/verb, noun

refrain is spelled R-E-F-R-A-I-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 4.3 times per million words in written English, the 12,397th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, refrain means “To stop oneself from some action or interference; to abstain; to eschew” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in refrain?

Letters7: R-E-F-R-A-I-N
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing4.3 times per million words; the 12,397th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is refrain?

Refrain appears 4.3 times per million words in written English, the 12,397th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce refrain?

  • /ɹɪˈfɹeɪn/

Refrain has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-refrain.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of refrain

  • refrains present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • refraining participle, present
  • refrained participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does refrain mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    archaicTo hold back, to restrain (someone or something).

  2. 2

    archaicTo show restraint; to hold oneself back.

  3. 3

    archaicTo repress (a desire, emotion etc.); to check or curb.

  4. 4

    To stop oneself from some action or interference; to abstain; to eschew

    July 5, 1731, Jonathan Swift, letter to Vanessa If you knew how I struggle for a little health, what uneasiness I am at in riding and walking, and refraining from every thing agreeable to my taste

  5. 5

    rareTo abstain from (food or drink).

noun

  1. 1

    The chorus or burden of a song repeated at the end of each verse or stanza.

  2. 2

    A much repeated comment, complaint, or saying.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Refrain in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchse retenir, s'abstenir ((intransitive) to abstain (from) – see also…), refrain (burden of song)
Germansich enthalten, verzichten, absehen, unterlassen, sich zurückhalten, Abstand nehmen ((intransitive) to abstain (from) – see also…)
Portugueseabster-se, abster-se (de) ((intransitive) to abstain (from) – see also…), refrão (burden of song)
Spanishcomedirse, refrenarse/enfrenarse/prescindir (de) ((intransitive) to abstain (from) – see also…), estribillo (burden of song)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does refrain come from?

Inherited from Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refrener, Old French refrener, from Latin refrēnāre, from re- + frēnāre, from frēnum.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after refrain