different between refrain vs deny

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???f?e?n/
• Rhymes: -e?n

Etymology 1

From Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refraindre, Middle French refreindre (from Latin refringere), and Anglo-Norman refrener, Middle French refrener (from Latin refrenare).

Verb

refrain (third-person singular simple present refrains, present participle refraining, simple past and past participle refrained)

1. (transitive, archaic) To hold back, to restrain (someone or something). [from 14th c.]
2. (reflexive, archaic) To show restraint; to hold oneself back. [from 14th c.]
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts V:

     And nowe I saye unto you: refrayne youreselves from these men, and let them alone [...].

   • 1899, Sabine Baring-Gould, A Book of the West Volume 1 Chapter 18

     As I went down the river, all dissatisfaction at my lot passed away, and by the time Dartmouth came in view I could no longer refrain myself, but threw my cap into the air, and barely caught it from falling overboard as I shouted, "Hurrah for merry England! […] "

3. (transitive, now rare) To repress (a desire, emotion etc.); to check or curb. [from 14th c.]

   • his reson aperceyueth it wel that it is synne / agayns the lawe of god / and yet his reson / refreyneth nat his foul delit or talent.

4. (intransitive, with preposition "from") To stop oneself from some action or interference; to abstain. [from 15th c.]
   • July 5, 1731, Jonathan Swift, letter to Vanessa

     If you knew how I struggle for a little health, what uneasiness I am at in riding and walking, and refraining from every thing agreeable to my taste
5. (transitive, rare, regional) To abstain from (food or drink). [from 16th c.]

Translations

Etymology 2

From French refrain, from the Old French verb refraindre (“to break off, repeat”), from Latin re- (“back, again”) + frang? (“break”); compare Occitan refranhs (“a refrain”), refranher (“to repeat”). See refract and the verb refrain.

Noun

refrain (plural refrains)

1. The chorus or burden of a song repeated at the end of each verse or stanza.
2. (by extension) A much repeated comment, complaint, or saying.

   Synonym: old saw

Translations

References

• refrain in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• Ren fair, ferrian

French

Etymology

Alteration of Old French refrait, past participle of the verb refraindre (based on the verb's infinitive), itself from Vulgar Latin *refrangere, from Latin refringo, refringere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.f???/

Noun

refrain m (plural refrains)

1. refrain, chorus

Descendants

• ? Danish: refræn
• ? English: refrain
• ? German: Refrain
• ? Spanish: refrán

Further reading

• “refrain” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• fariner

Italian

Etymology

From French refrain.

Noun

refrain m (invariable)

1. refrain

   Synonym: ritornello

Anagrams

• rifarne

Further reading

• refrain in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

English

Etymology

From Middle English denyen, from Old French denoier (“to deny, to repudiate”) (French dénier), from Latin denegare (“to deny, to refuse”), from de- (“away”) and negare (“to refuse”), the latter ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ne (“no, not”). Doublet of denegate.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d??na?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /d??na?/, /d?-/
• Rhymes: -a?
• Hyphenation: de?ny

Verb

deny (third-person singular simple present denies, present participle denying, simple past and past participle denied)

1. (transitive) To disallow or reject.
2. (transitive) To assert that something is not true.
3. (ditransitive) To refuse to give or grant something to someone.
   • 1754, Jonathan Edwards, An Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions Respecting that Freedom of the Will which is supposed to be Essential to Moral Agency

     To some men, it is more agreeable to deny a vicious inclination, than to gratify it.
4. To take something away from someone; to deprive of.
5. (sports, transitive) To prevent from scoring.
6. To disclaim connection with, responsibility for, etc.; to refuse to acknowledge; to disown; to abjure; to disavow.
   • 1834-1874, George Bancroft, History of the United States, from the Discovery of the American Continent.

     the falsehood of denying his opinion

   • 1827, John Keble, The Christian Year

     thou thrice denied, yet thrice beloved

7. (obsolete) To refuse (to do or accept something).

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs.
• Deny can have a connotation that the denial is false; he denied knowing the accused has a more suspicious tone than he said he did not know the accused. However, in some formal usages, e.g. medical records, it can have a more neutral sense (patient denies chest pain).
• See refute.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• (assert something is not true): gainsay, contradict, withsay, refute, disclaim

Antonyms

• (disallow): allow
• (assert something is true): confirm, affirm

Derived terms

• deniability
• denier
• justice delayed is justice denied

Related terms

• denial

Translations

Anagrams

• E.D.N.Y., Ynde, dyne