#restraint
- Female abstinent — A person (female) who chooses to willingly give up the satisfaction of certain cravings, vices, or sensory pleasures; (as an adjective) feminine form for actions, practices, or communities that promote strict moderation and behavioral purity.
- To dam up — To dam, to stop, to dyke, or to bar the flow of a water body or a fluid by means of a physical obstacle (sluice gate, dam, levee); by extension or figuratively, it means to curb, to restrain, to put an end to, or to hold back a violent urge, a strong emotion, or a wave of social protests.
- Damming — The act of damming or restraining and its result; the archaic or regional operation of stopping, dyking, or barring a watercourse using sluice gates or levees; figuratively, it represents the action of curbing, withholding, or calming a violent urge or a flow of emotional states.
- Curbed — Having been stopped, barred, or dammed with a physical obstacle (of waters); figuratively, having been curbed, restrained, controlled, or calmed from its free and violent progression (of feelings, impulses, or crowds).
- Lying in wait — The act of lying in wait or remaining vigilant; the premeditated action of stopping, blocking, or intercepting someone at a strategic point. Figuratively and archaically, it denotes a conscious effort of self-restraint, the curbing of immediate impulses, or the clandestine monitoring of a path to gain control over a unfolding situation.
- To exercise self-control — To exercise control over oneself, to dominate, restrain, or curb one's instinctive urges and impulsive reactions through conscious willpower. It implies a rapid internal evaluation and the adjustment of behavior to align with ethical, social norms, or long-term personal goals.