abstain

intransitive-verb
UK: /əbˈsteɪn/
US: /əbˈsteɪn/

  1. To choose not to do something, such as voting or drinking alcohol.

    1. I will abstain from voting in this election because I don't know candidates. [ ] [ ]
    2. Many members decided to abstain from the vote rather than openly support the proposal. [ ] [ ]

  2. To restrain oneself from enjoying something; to refrain from an activity.

    1. I abstain from eating junk food to stay healthy. [ ] [ ]
    2. He chose to abstain from alcohol during the entire month of January for health reasons. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

forbear withhold desist refrain
abstain noun

  1. The act of choosing not to vote.

    1. There was one abstain in the vote. [ ] [ ]
    2. The number of abstains was surprisingly high, indicating widespread dissatisfaction. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "abstain" in English means: To choose not to do something, such as voting or drinking alcohol., To restrain oneself from enjoying something; to refrain from an activity..

The phonetic transcription of "abstain" is /əbˈsteɪn/ in British English and /əbˈsteɪn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "abstain": forbear, withhold, desist, refrain.

Example usage of "abstain": "I will abstain from voting in this election because I don't know candidates.". More examples on the page.