What does “restrained” mean?
- 1
adjectivecalm and controlled, not showing strong emotion
His reaction was surprisingly restrained.
- 2
adjectivesimple and not too decorated
The room was decorated in restrained colors.
Restrained at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /rɪˈstreɪnd/ · rih-STRAYND
How to use “restrained” correctly
Usually positive: it suggests good self-control or good taste.
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- controlled
- calm
- understated
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- unrestrained
- excessive
Word family
- restrain
- restraint
- unrestrained
“restrained” is on these word lists
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