refrained myself

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "refrained myself" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression is "refrained from" followed by a verb. Example: "I refrained from making any comments during the meeting."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

And refrained myself from arguing.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The others refrained.

The Guardian - Opinion

In the end, they wisely refrained.

The New York Times - Arts

Until then, the government had conspicuously refrained from cracking down.

The Guardian

The president, in fact, pointedly refrained from repeating that formula.

The Economist

The Bank of England refrained but will probably continue tightening policy this summer.

The Economist

The demonstrators, in turn, mostly refrained from hitting officers.

The New York Times

The public refrained from holding protests during the elections.

The New York Times

Christie's prudently refrained from dating the Beyeler example.

The New York Times - Arts

Many refrained from attending communal prayer; some left the congregation.

The New York Times

Otherwise, African leaders have mostly refrained from offering public appraisals of the current President.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the correct grammatical structure: "refrained from" + gerund (verb ending in -ing). For example, "I refrained from arguing" not "I refrained myself from arguing."

Common error

Avoid using reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, etc.) directly after "refrained". The verb "refrain" requires the preposition "from" followed by a gerund (e.g., "refrained from speaking").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "refrained myself" is an incorrect usage. The verb "refrain" requires the preposition "from" followed by a gerund. Ludwig AI indicates that the proper form is "refrained from".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "refrained myself" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "refrained from", followed by a verb in the gerund form (e.g., "refrained from arguing"). Ludwig AI's analysis confirms this, and usage should be adjusted accordingly. Although the single example appears in news media, it's important to use the correct grammatical structure to maintain clarity and credibility in writing. Consider using alternatives like "held back" or "controlled myself" if rephrasing is needed. Always prioritize "refrained from" when the intended meaning is to indicate that you deliberately avoided doing something.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

refrained from doing

The grammatically correct form using "refrained" with a gerund. It implies a conscious decision not to engage in an action.

held back

Implies a deliberate act of stopping oneself from doing or saying something.

controlled myself

Highlights the act of managing one's own impulses or behavior.

restrained myself

Similar to "controlled myself", but suggests a stronger effort to suppress an urge.

abstained from

Indicates a conscious decision to avoid a particular action or indulgence.

refrained from expressing

Focuses specifically on avoiding the expression of thoughts or feelings.

desisted from

A more formal way of saying "stopped oneself from" or "refrained from".

kept myself from

Emphasizes the effort involved in preventing oneself from doing something.

avoided doing

Focuses on circumventing a specific action or behavior.

forbore to do

A formal and somewhat archaic way of saying "refrained from doing".

FAQs

How can I properly use the word "refrain" in a sentence?

The verb "refrain" is typically followed by the preposition "from" and a gerund (a verb form ending in -ing). For example, "I "refrained from commenting" on the issue" is correct.

Is it correct to say "refrained myself"?

No, "refrained myself" is not grammatically correct. The correct phrasing is "refrained from", followed by a verb in its -ing form, such as "refrained from eating".

What are some alternatives to "refrained myself"?

Instead of "refrained myself", you can say "held back", "controlled myself", or "restrained myself", or, the grammatically correct phrase, "refrained from".

What is the difference between "refrained myself" and "refrained from"?

"Refrained myself" is grammatically incorrect. "Refrained from" is the correct usage, indicating that someone deliberately avoided doing something. For instance, "I "refrained from laughing"" means I stopped myself from laughing.