Vocabulary
Refrain
English and Urdu gloss, synonyms and antonyms, and example usage from our editorial sentence cache where available.
English meaning
stop oneself from doing something.
Urdu meaning
باز رہنا، روکنا، اجتناب
Example sentences (from Dawn)
Sentences are selected from stored editorial text where your search word appears. If none appear yet, run the admin sentence generator for fuller coverage.
- In fact, the common refrain in speeches at the debate was the UN`s ineffectiveness at a time when it is needed most to deal with multiple challenges.
- Australia has followed France, Canada and the UK, who announced plans to recognise Palestinian statehood, even though the UK has qualified that by saying it will refrain from doing so if Israel moves towards ending the war.
- Meanwhile, India should listen to what neutral experts are saying about Pakistan`s rights over Indus waters, and refrain from making any moves that could vitiate matters.
- Everyone is ready to break the window; they only refrain if a policeman is present or if they fear being caught and punished.
- 7 O lessen tensions with the opposition, it is necessary for the government to refrain from taking any step that might be construed as political victimisation.
Synonyms
abstain, desist, hold back, stop oneself, withhold; forbear, forgo, do without,
Curator example
“she refrained from comment
More vocabulary to explore
About this vocabulary section.
These entries support close reading of Dawn editorials and opinion pieces: short definitions,
Urdu equivalents where we have them, word relations, and—when generated—real lines from the editorial archive
so you can see tone and usage.
Common questions
- Do I need to sign up to use this vocabulary page?
- No. Word pages are open to everyone. You can read meanings in English and Urdu, synonyms and antonyms, and example sentences without creating an account.
- Where do the example sentences come from?
- When available, example sentences are drawn from cached matches in our Dawn editorial corpus so you can see how a word is used in real newsroom-style prose.
- How is this different from a dictionary?
- This section is curated for students preparing for competitive exams and editorial reading. Entries are compact, often include Urdu glosses, and are paired with in-context lines from editorials when we have them.
