forbear

1.

/fɔrˈbeər/

refrain from doing

2.

/ˈfɔrbeər/

a person from whom you are descended

Other forms: forbore; forbearing; forbears; forborne

When you forbear, you hold yourself back from doing something. If you're mad at your best friend, you might forbear to return her text messages for a while.

If you forbear to giggle during your teacher's stern lecture, that's a good thing. You keep yourself from laughing out loud, even though that's instinctively what you want to do. The Old English root, forberan, means "control one's feelings, or tolerate." A less common way to use forbear is as a noun meaning "ancestor." So if you're refraining from reading about your ancestors, you can say you forbear to learn about your forbears.

Definitions of forbear (/fɔrˈbeər/)

1. verb

   refrain from doing
   “she forbore a snicker”

   synonyms: hold back

   type of:

   refrain

   resist doing something
2. verb

   resist doing something
   “she could not forbear weeping”

   synonyms: refrain

   types:

   leave, leave alone, leave behind

   leave unchanged or undisturbed or refrain from taking

   let it go

   not act

   abstain

   refrain from voting

   save, spare

   refrain from harming

   hold back

   refrain from doing

   help, help oneself

   abstain from doing; always used with a negative

   stand by

   not act or do anything

   sit out

   not participate in (an activity, such as a dance or a sports event)

   let

   leave unchanged

   favor, favour

   treat gently or carefully