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⇱ constraining - WordReference.com Dictionary of English


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
con•strain /kənˈstreɪn/USA pronunciation   v. [~ + object]
  1. to make (someone) do something;
    compel: He was constrained to admit the offense.
  2. to hold back;
    repress or restrain:He constrained his impulse to tell her the secret.
con•strain•a•ble, adj. 
con•strain•er, n. [countable]
con•strain•ing•ly, adv. See -strain-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
con•strain  (kən strān′),USA pronunciation v.t. 
  1. to force, compel, or oblige:He was constrained to admit the offense.
  2. to confine forcibly, as by bonds.
  3. to repress or restrain:Cold weather constrained the plant's growth.
  • Latin constringere. See con-, strain1
  • Anglo-French, Middle French constrei(g)n- (stem of constreindre)
  • Middle English constrei(g)nen 1275–1325
con•strain′a•ble, adj. 
con•strain′er, n. 
con•strain′ing•ly, adv. 
    1. coerce. 2. check, bind.
    2. free.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
constrain /kənˈstreɪn/ vb (transitive)
  1. to compel or force, esp by persuasion, circumstances, etc; oblige
  2. to restrain by or as if by force; confine
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French constreindre, from Latin constringere to bind together, from stringere to bindconˈstrainer n
'constraining' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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