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abstain

verb

Simple meaning

Refrain from; keep from doing.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

uhbstayn

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

əbsˈteɪn

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. intransitive

    Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.

  2. Refrain from voting

  3. intransitive

    Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present.

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.

To 'abstain' means to deliberately choose not to do something, especially something tempting or a pleasure. It implies self-control. People often 'abstain from voting' or 'abstain from alcohol,' meaning they simply hold back.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Where you'll really hear it

  • Political Debate

    “Several members chose to abstain from the final vote.”

  • Health Advice

    “To improve health, many choose to abstain from sugary drinks.”

  • Personal Choice

    “I decided to abstain from dessert this evening.”

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.