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refrain

chorus, refrain

noun ruh-FRAN Rare
Arts & Culture Music

Usage Note

Refrain is the part of a song that repeats after each verse — the equivalent of 'chorus' in English pop music. The final 'n' is nasalised and not pronounced separately. Figuratively, c'est toujours le même refrain ('it's always the same old story') is a common idiom for a repeated complaint.

Examples

"Tout le monde connaît le refrain de cette chanson."

Natural Translation

Everyone knows the chorus of that song.

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