Adjacent Words

Constrain definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONSTRAIN, v.t. [L., to strain, to bind. See Strain.] In a general sense, to strain; to press; to urge; to drive; to exert force, physical or moral, either in urging to action or in restraining it. Hence,
1. To compel or force; to urge with irresistible power, or with a power sufficient to produce the effect.
The spirit within me constraineth me. Job 32.
I was constrained to appeal to Caesar. Acts 28.
For the love of Christ constraineth us. 2 Corinthians 5.
2. To confine by fore; to restrain from escape or action; to repress.
My sire in caves constrains the winds.
3. To hold by force; to press; to confine.
How the strait stays the slender waist constrain.
4. To constringe; to bind.
When winter frosts constrain the field with cold.
5. To tie fast; to bind; to chain; to confine.
He binds in chains the drowsy prophet, and his limbs constrains.
6. To necessitate.
Did fate or we the adulterous act constrain?
7. To force; to ravish. [Not used.]
8. To produce in opposition to nature; as a constrained voice; constrained notes.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: hold back [syn: restrain, encumber, cumber, constrain]
2: restrict; "Tighten the rules"; "stiffen the regulations" [syn: stiffen, tighten, tighten up, constrain]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French constraindre, from Latin constringere to constrict, constrain, from com- + stringere to draw tight — more at strain Date: 14th century 1. a. to force by imposed stricture, restriction, or limitation b. to restrict the motion of (a mechanical body) to a particular mode 2. compress; also to clasp tightly 3. to secure by or as if by bonds ; confine; broadly limit 4. to force or produce in an unnatural or strained manner <a constrained smile> 5. to hold back by or as if by force <constraining my mind not to wander from the task — Charles Dickens> Synonyms: see force • constrainedly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 compel; urge irresistibly or by necessity. 2 a confine forcibly; imprison. b restrict severely as regards action, behaviour, etc. 3 bring about by compulsion. 4 (as constrained adj.) forced, embarrassed (a constrained voice; a constrained manner). Derivatives: constrainedly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF constraindre f. L constringere (as com-, stringere strict- tie)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Constrain Con*strain", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Constrained; p. pr. & vb. n. Constraining.] [OF. constraindre, F. contrainde, L. constringere; con- + stringere to draw tight. See Strain, and. cf. Constrict, Constringe.] 1. To secure by bonds; to chain; to bond or confine; to hold tightly; to constringe. He binds in chains The drowsy prophet, and his limbs constrains. --Dryden. When winter frosts constrain the fields with cold. --Dryden. 2. To bring into a narrow compass; to compress. How the strait stays the slender waist constrain. --Gay. 3. To hold back by force; to restrain; to repress. My sire in caves constrains the winds. --Dryden. 4. To compel; to force; to necessitate; to oblige. The love of Christ constraineth us. --2. Cor. v. 14. I was constrained to appeal unto C[ae]sar. --Acts xxviii. 19. 5. To violate; to ravish. [Obs.] --Shak. 6. To produce in such a manner as to give an unnatural effect; as, a constrained voice. Syn: To compel; force; drive; impel; urge; press.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(constrains, constraining, constrained) 1. To constrain someone or something means to limit their development or force them to behave in a particular way. (FORMAL) Women are too often constrained by family commitments and by low expectations... VERB: be V-ed 2. If you feel constrained to do something, you feel that you must do it, even though you would prefer not to. For some reason he felt constrained to lower his voice. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR to-inf

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kon-stran': Generally in the sense of pressing urgently (2Ki 4:8; Lu 24:29; Ac 16:15), to impel or carry away (2Co 5:14); sometimes to be compelled of necessity (Job 32:18; Ac 28:19; compare Ga 6:12).

See COMPEL.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Compel, force, drive, oblige, coerce. 2. Confine, restrain, inthrall, hold, curb, put under restraint, keep down, keep under. 3. Urge, impel, draw, draw urgently or irresistibly.

Moby Thesaurus

abate, abridge, abstain, aggrieve, allay, alleviate, arrest, assuage, attemper, ban, bank the fire, bar, bastille, bear, bind, bit, blunt, bottle up, box up, bridle, cage, cause, cause to, chasten, check, cloister, coerce, compel, concuss, confine, contain, control, cool, cool off, coop, coop in, coop up, cork up, crib, crowd, crush, curb, curtail, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, decelerate, deprive, detain, dictate, diminish, disallow, dompt, downplay, drive, dull, encage, enclose, enforce, enjoin, extenuate, fence in, force, govern, grieve, guard, have, hem in, hinder, hold, hold at bay, hold back, hold down, hold fast, hold in, hold in check, hold in custody, hold in leash, hold in restraint, hold up, hurt, immure, impel, impound, incarcerate, inhibit, injure, insist upon, intern, jail, jam, jug, keep, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep in custody, keep in detention, keep under control, keep within bounds, lay, lay under restraint, lenify, lessen, lighten, make, mew, mew up, mitigate, moderate, modulate, necessitate, oblige, obtund, pain, palliate, pen, pen up, play down, pound, prison, prohibit, pull, pull in, push, quod, rail in, reduce, reduce the temperature, refrain, rein, rein in, restrain, restrict, retard, retrench, seal up, set back, shackle, shotgun, shut in, shut up, slacken, slow down, smother, snub, sober, sober down, soften, squab, squash, squeeze, squish, stifle, straiten, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, tie, tone down, tune down, underplay, use force upon, wall in, weaken, withhold