English verb: detain | |||
1. | detain (social) deprive of freedom; take into confinement | ||
Examples | They want to detain the prisoners | ||
Synonyms | confine | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | bind over, cage, cage in, gaol, immure, imprison, imprison, incarcerate, intern, jail, jug, keep, keep in, lag, pin down, put away, put behind bars, remand, straiten, trap | ||
Antonyms | free, loose, unloose, unloosen, liberate, release | ||
2. | detain (change) stop or halt | ||
Samples | Please stay the bloodshed!. | ||
Synonyms | delay, stay | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | check, delay, retard | ||
3. | detain (change) cause to be slowed down or delayed | ||
Samples | Traffic was delayed by the bad weather. She delayed the work that she didn't want to perform. | ||
Synonyms | delay, hold up | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | decelerate, retard, slow, slow down, slow up | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | buy time, catch, stall, stonewall | ||
Antonyms | hurry, rush | ||