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refrear-se

[ʁɛ.fɾe.ˈaɾ.sə]
verb
to restrain oneself, to hold back, to refrain
1. to control or restrain one's impulses, desires, or actions
He had to refrain himself from laughing during the serious meeting.
Ele teve que se refrear para não rir durante a reunião séria.
2. to abstain from doing something; to avoid
She refrained herself from commenting on the controversial topic.
Ela se refreaou de comentar sobre o tópico controverso.
3. to exercise self-control or moderation
The athlete had to refrain himself from eating too much before the competition.
O atleta teve que se refrear de comer muito antes da competição.
Synonyms
conter-secontrolar-seabstém-semoderar-sereter-sereprimir-se
Antonyms
entregar-sedescontrolar-sesoltar-serender-se

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
refrear-se
standard usage, commonly understood
São Paulo
refrear-se / conter-se
both forms used interchangeably
Rio de Janeiro
refrear-se
standard usage
Portugal
refrear-se / conter-se
less common; prefer 'conter-se' or 'abster-se'

Related Idioms & Phrases

não se refrear em gastos
refrear-se de comentários
refrear-se de emoções
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