Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Abstain (verb)
ab·stain [ab-steyn]

verb used without object
1. to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy (usually followed by from): to abstain from eating meat.
2. to refrain from casting one's vote: a referendum in which two delegates abstained.

RELATED FORMS
non·ab·stain·ing, adjective
o·ver·ab·stain, verb (used without object)

RELATED WORDS
quit, renounce, refrain, withhold, forgo, cease, shun, forbear, decline, refuse, spurn, avoid, eschew, stop, fast, abjure, curb, evade, pass, constrain

Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
1. forbear; desist, cease.

Antonyms
1. indulge.

Origin: 1350–1400; Middle English abste(i)nen < Middle French abstenir ≪ Latin abstinēre, equivalent to abs- abs- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre to hold, keep

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