The meaning of CONSTRAIN is to force by imposed stricture, restriction, or limitation. How to use constrain in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Constrain.
To produce in a forced or inhibited manner: "This smile seemed to touch something off in her ... and playfully she constrained her own roguish smile" (Naeem Murr).
Definition of constrain verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Something that's constrained is forced, unnatural and not very spontaneous — kind of like a linebacker trying to perform the ballet Swan Lake. Constrained contains the word strained for a reason.
We were constrained [= limited] by the short amount of time we had. Teenagers often feel constrained [= limited] by rules. She felt constrained [= (more commonly) felt compelled] to apologize for the harm she'd done.
