Thesaurus: constrain

Related headwords

Definitions

1. v. t. To secure by bonds; to chain; to bond or confine; to hold tightly; to constringe.
2. v. t. To bring into a narrow compass; to compress.
3. v. t. To hold back by force; to restrain; to repress.
4. v. t. To compel; to force; to necessitate; to oblige.
5. v. t. To violate; to ravish.
6. v. t. To produce in such a manner as to give an unnatural effect; as, a constrained voice.
7. v. compel to behave in a certain way
8. v. to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
9. v. severely restrict in scope or extent
10. 1. To secure by bonds; to chain; to bond or con He binds in hains The droway prophet, and his limbs constrains. Dryden. When winter frosts constrain the fields with old. 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 necessiate; to oblige. The love of Christ constraineth us. 2. Cor. v. 14. I was constrained to appeal unto CActs xxviii. 19. 5. To violate; to ravish. [Obs.] Shak. 6. To produce in such a manner as to give an unnatural effet; as, a constrained voice. Syn. -- To compel; force; drive; impel; urge; press.
11. v:100 v hold back v restrict