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restrain eagerness

[rɪˈstreɪn ˈiːɡərnəs]
verb phrase
conter a ansiedade; refrear o entusiasmo
1. to control or hold back one's enthusiasm, excitement, or keen desire to do something
She had to restrain her eagerness to open the gift before Christmas morning.
Ela teve que conter sua ansiedade para abrir o presente antes da manhã de Natal.
2. to exercise self-control in expressing enthusiasm or impatience
The students could barely restrain their eagerness to leave for the field trip.
Os alunos mal conseguiam refrear seu entusiasmo para partir para o passeio.
NYC Slang
chill on the hype; keep your cool; pump the brakes on excitement
Synonyms
curb enthusiasmtemper excitementhold back desiresuppress eagernesscheck enthusiasm
Antonyms
give in to eagernessindulge enthusiasmexpress excitementunleash eagernessshow enthusiasm

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
conter a ansiedade; refrear o entusiasmo
most common usage in Brazilian Portuguese
São Paulo
conter a vontade; segurar o entusiasmo
common colloquial variation
Rio de Janeiro
segurar a ansiedade; conter o desejo
informal spoken usage
Portugal
conter a impaciência; refrear o entusiasmo
more formal European Portuguese usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

keep one's feet on the ground
contain oneself
keep a stiff upper lip
hold one's horses
keep one's shirt on
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