abs
tain
Third Person
abstains
Present Participle
abstaining
Past Tense
abstained
Past Participle
abstained
1
to avoid doing something, especially something that one enjoys
transitive
- They regularly abstain from consuming alcohol for personal reasons.
- She has abstained from using social media since last week to focus on her studies.
- I am abstaining from drinking coffee this week to see if it improves my sleep quality.
- To stay focused on her studies, Lisa chose to abstain from social media during exam week.
- In an effort to reduce environmental impact, many individuals choose to abstain from single-use plastics.
Antonyms:
2
to choose not to vote on a particular matter, issue, or proposal
- During the shareholder meeting, several investors abstained, expressing their uncertainty about the company's proposed merger.
- In the town hall debate, some audience members chose to abstain.
- During the club elections, a notable percentage of members abstained.
- At the community forum, residents were given the option to abstain.