Two different words are by definition not interchangeable for everything. Beyond that, refrain from refers to not doing something. Avoiding something is not the same. Avoiding doing something is less strong/absolute than refraining from doing it.

Is refrain A polite word?

It's used in social contexts—Please refrain from picking a fight with your Uncle Roger. ... You also see refrain used in less intimate contexts when it's incumbent on the speaker to be polite—when, for example, someone is issuing instructions to customers.

What is the right word for refrain?

In this page you can discover 30 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for refrain, like: avoid, tune, hold off, chorus, do, withhold, forgo, cease, restrain, go-ahead and inhibit.