Refrain means to hold yourself back from doing something, especially something you want to do or feel tempted to do. When you refrain from talking during a movie, you're choosing not to speak even though you might want to comment on what's happening. When a teacher asks students to refrain from shouting out answers, she's asking them to resist that impulse and raise their hands instead.

The word suggests conscious self-control. You don't refrain from things you never wanted to do anyway. You refrain when there's a genuine pull toward an action, but you choose not to do it. A student might refrain from peeking at a birthday present early, or refrain from laughing during a serious moment, or refrain from eating dessert before dinner.

The word also has a completely different meaning in poetry and music: a refrain is a line or phrase that repeats throughout a song or poem. Think of the chorus in your favorite song, the part that comes back again and again. That's the refrain. In “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” the line “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” is the refrain that opens and closes the verses. Poets and songwriters use refrains to create rhythm and emphasize important ideas, helping them stick in your memory.