contain oneself
Keep composure intact
To contain oneself is to restrain one's emotions or impulses, keeping feelings from spilling out.
Usually appears in the negative: I couldn't contain myself and burst out laughing.
The phrase suggests emotion as something that builds pressure and threatens to overflow: She could barely contain herself when she heard the news.
- get a gripRegain emotional control
- keep it togetherMaintain composure under pressure
- take a breathInhale once deliberately
- forbearancePatient self-control, delayed enforcement
- go easyBe gentle or lenient
composure · willpower · equanimity · moderation · patience · calmness · restraint · controlled · hold · concentration · focus · temperance · bite one's tongue · grit one's teeth · resolve · serenity · emotional stability · cool one's jets
contain oneselflet loose
Remove restraints from
let oneself go · lose control · explode · burst out · erupt
contain, oneself, self, contains, contained, containing, container, containers, containment