Synonyms & related words for abstain

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of abstain — including refrain, forbear, eschew, forgo, abnegate, shun. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to abstain

Explore words related to abstain — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include desist, abstention, abstinent, refrainment, abstinently, abstainers, abstinence, forswear. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for abstain

Common synonyms for abstain include refrain, forbear, eschew, forgo, abnegate, shun, withhold, avoid — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does abstain come from?

The word abstain breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: abs-, from Latin abs (“away from”); and -tain, from Latin teneo (“hold”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.