constrain

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
(kən-strān') pronunciation
tr.v., -strained, -strain·ing, -strains.
  1. To compel by physical, moral, or circumstantial force; oblige: felt constrained to object. See synonyms at force.
  2. To keep within close bounds; confine: a life that had been constrained by habit to the same few activities and friends.
  3. To inhibit or restrain; hold back: "Failing to control the growth of international debt will also constrain living standards" (Ronald Brownstein).
  4. To produce in a forced or inhibited manner.

[Middle English constreinen, from Old French constraindre, constraign-, from Latin cōnstringere, to restrain, compress : com-, com- + stringere, to bind, press together.]

constrainable con·strain'a·ble adj.
constrainedly con·strain'ed·ly (-strā'nĭd-lē) adv.
constrainer con·strain'er n.

Top

verb

  1. To cause (a person or thing) to act or move in spite of resistance: coerce, compel, force, make, obligate, oblige, pressure. See attack/defend.
  2. To control, restrict, or arrest: bit, brake, bridle, check, curb, hold, hold back, hold down, hold in, inhibit, keep, keep back, pull in, rein (back, in. or up), restrain. See restraint/unrestraint.
  3. To check the freedom and spontaneity of: constrict, cramp, inhibit. See free/unfree, tighten/loosen.

Top

v

Definition: force; restrain
Antonyms: free, let go, release

Word Tutor:

constrain

Top
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To persuade with force; compel.

pronunciation Abe didn't want to be constrained by his friends.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'constrained'

Top
Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to constrained, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Constrain.
Translations:

Constrain

Top

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - tvinge, indespærre, indsnævre

Nederlands (Dutch)
(af-/be)dwingen, opsluiten, beperken

Français (French)
v. tr. - contraindre, forcer, entraver, gêner (les mouvements), retenir (qn) de force, contenir (qn)

Deutsch (German)
v. - zwingen, beschränken

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - (εξ)αναγκάζω, περιορίζω, χαλιναγωγώ

Italiano (Italian)
costringere, obbligare, forzare, limitare, restringere

Português (Portuguese)
v. - constranger, aprisionar

Русский (Russian)
принуждать, сковывать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - obligar, compeler, forzar, coaccionar, limitar, restringir

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - tvinga, fängsla, begränsa, inskränka, tvinga fram

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
强迫, 拘束, 抑制

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 強迫, 拘束, 抑制

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 강요하다, 구속하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 強いる, 束縛する, 抑える, 圧迫する, 強要する, 強制する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) قيد, ضيق, ألجم, أرغم, أجبر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮ריסן, הכריח, אילץ‬


Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

Copyrights:

Mentioned in