refrain ourselves

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'refrain ourselves' is correct and can be used in formal and informal written English.
This phrase is typically used when asking someone to control themselves or to refrain from engaging in a certain behavior. For example: "Let's try to refrain ourselves from arguing and discuss the issue calmly."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

However, given that we have estimated more complex context-dependent substitution patterns at the fourfold degenerate sites, in that we don't refrain ourselves from only distinguishing between transitions and transversions, we still observe clearly different substitution behaviour between the two datasets.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Therefore, we have refrained ourselves from making such extrapolations.

F1000Research

So I created, for him, the "No Cry Pledge" and wrote the words on the visor in a moment of inspiration: three sentences all of us recited in the parking lot before entering a bowling alley, in which we vowed -- on our dog's life -- that however many gutter balls we threw, we would refrain from flinging ourselves on the floor.

The New York Times - Travel

Just as we should not harm others, we should refrain from harming ourselves.

Huffington Post

Any forward movement is commendable, and we need to refrain from berating ourselves for the tiny slips, or huge lunges, backward.

Huffington Post

In addition, while it can be very difficult to refrain from defending ourselves when we feel we are being blamed (or are to blame), by simply holding a space for another's unhappiness, we establish ourselves as one who authentically cares, who wants to and is brave enough to know the other's experience (even if it is about us).

Huffington Post

Because so many novel therapies in the past have not lived up to their initial promise, we should protect our patients (and ourselves) and refrain from empirically administering eritoran for treatment of sepsis and other emerging indications at present.

Core Evidence

We thus refrain from using inferential statistics and restrict ourselves to describing the sample we have taken.

Journal of Software Engineering Research and Development

I will briefly sketch one way of doing so for the perfect duty to others to refrain from lying promises and the imperfect duty to ourselves to develop talents.

SEP

When the U.S. Senate ratified the Convention Against Torture in 1994, we committed ourselves as a nation not only to refrain from torture but to prosecute perpetrators when there is evidence of a crime.

Huffington Post

So I refrain from asking about the giblets, and concentrate instead, as we settle ourselves in the adjoining room, on marvelling at all the exotic lumber.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "refrain ourselves" when you want to emphasize a conscious decision to avoid a particular action or behavior, especially in situations where there's a strong temptation to do otherwise.

Common error

Avoid using "refrain ourselves" in casual conversations; simpler alternatives like "stop ourselves" or "control ourselves" are usually more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "refrain ourselves" functions as a reflexive verb phrase, indicating a conscious decision to abstain or hold back from a particular action or behavior. Ludwig indicates that it is a valid construction.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "refrain ourselves" is a grammatically correct but relatively uncommon reflexive verb phrase used to express the conscious decision to abstain from a particular action. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is valid in written English. It is more suited to formal contexts, as demonstrated by its usage in scientific and news sources. When writing, consider simpler alternatives like "control ourselves" in informal settings. Although it is valid, based on Ludwig's examples, consider its frequency before employing it.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

restrain ourselves

Emphasizes the act of holding back or controlling our impulses or actions.

control ourselves

Focuses on maintaining composure and managing one's own behavior.

inhibit ourselves

Highlights the suppression of one's natural impulses or expressions.

hold ourselves back

Suggests a conscious effort to prevent oneself from participating in something.

abstain from

Formally indicates refraining from a specific action or behavior.

avoid doing

Highlights staying clear of a particular action or behavior.

desist from

Formally implies ceasing or refraining from a specific action.

keep ourselves from

Focuses on preventing oneself from doing something.

discipline ourselves

Emphasizes the practice of self-control and regulation of behavior.

forgo the urge to

Suggests resisting a strong impulse or desire.

FAQs

How can I use "refrain ourselves" in a sentence?

You can use "refrain ourselves" to indicate a conscious decision to avoid a certain action. For example, "Let's try to refrain ourselves from making snap decisions during this crisis."

What's the difference between "refrain ourselves" and "restrain ourselves"?

"Restrain ourselves" implies holding back an impulse or emotion, while "refrain ourselves" suggests a deliberate choice to avoid a specific action. They are similar, but "refrain" emphasizes the conscious decision.

Is it more appropriate to say "refrain from" or "refrain ourselves"?

"Refrain from" is generally used before a noun or gerund (e.g., "refrain from eating"). "Refrain ourselves" is used when the action is directed back to the subject (e.g., "We must refrain ourselves from interfering").

What can I say instead of "refrain ourselves"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "control ourselves", "stop ourselves", or "hold ourselves back".