restrain oneself
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- 1 restrain oneself、bring oneself to do something、steel oneself
It means to bring strong feelings or reluctance under control, often so that you can make yourself do what is necessary.
restrain oneself、bring oneself to do something、steel oneself
To firmly control an emotion or impulse, or to overcome reluctance and bring yourself to do something.
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เธอข่มใจไม่ให้ร้องไห้ thəə khòm cay mây hây rɔ́ɔŋ hây She held herself back from crying. เธอข่มใจไม่ให้ร้องไห้ details
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ข่มใจไว้ khòm cay wáy Keep your feelings under control. ข่มใจไว้ details
Learning notes
Explanation
ข่มใจ combines ข่ม, “to press down or subdue,” with ใจ, “heart or mind.” Its basic image is that of forcing one’s own feelings under control. It implies an inner struggle: the person may want to cry, become angry, run away, or avoid doing something, but uses willpower to resist that feeling. Depending on the context, it can mean either “hold oneself back” or “steel oneself” to do something difficult.
Usage
It is used when someone tries not to cry, keeps anger from showing, or resists an impulse or temptation. It can also describe overcoming emotional resistance to do something painful or difficult, such as telling the truth. It works in both everyday speech and written narration.
Caution
When ข่มใจ is followed directly by an action, it may mean steeling yourself to perform that action. In ข่มใจไม่ให้ + verb, however, it means restraining yourself from doing it. Pay attention to the following construction so you do not reverse the intended meaning.
Differences from similar words
1 restrain oneself synonyms
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ห้ามใจ commonly means stopping yourself from giving in to desire, attraction, or temptation. ข่มใจ is broader and often suggests firmly mastering emotions such as grief, anger, fear, or reluctance.
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อดใจ is often used for resisting eagerness or enduring the urge to have, see, or do something. ข่มใจ can also involve suppressing heavier emotions or overcoming strong inner resistance.