as in ascetic
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
grew up in a family where abstinent behavior was expected and self-indulgence of any kind was scorned and castigated
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Recent Examples of abstinent
Some people want to remain abstinent to focus on their own personal growth, while others have resorted to it after becoming frustrated with today's dating culture.
—
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Ivan Neville has been on a few times and always talks being abstinent.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
As a purist, Murray defines sobriety as being completely abstinent from habit-forming substances that could cause dependency, including prescription drugs like Xanax and Suboxone.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Ivan Neville has been on a few times and always talks being abstinent.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
As a purist, Murray defines sobriety as being completely abstinent from habit-forming substances that could cause dependency, including prescription drugs like Xanax and Suboxone.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstinent
Adjective
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Once inside, warm, tropical breezes flow into the hotel’s ascetic, nevertheless grand lobby, wafting you towards a magical cloister filled with plants and robust Botero sculptures.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
13 Jan. 2026
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The bulk of the album has been painted with a similarly ascetic palette.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Lunchtimes are more abstemious with avocado and tuna packed poke bowls and watermelon salad at the W lounge.—
Jemima Sissons,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
His first term now looks practically abstemious.—
Erin Neil,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The dammuso stays temperate thanks to its 19-to-23-inch-thick stone walls, which slowly absorb heat during the day and release it at night, and its domes—more than 13-feet tall—that allow rising heat to dissipate above the living spaces.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
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His tone is temperate, but the words echo through the State Capitol’s Assembly chamber, the august backdrop for his speech.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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So while the sober movement had already been picking up steam over the past decade, these meds might just give it a little extra fizz going forward.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
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Having to do karaoke sober is actual punishment.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Goodee has one of the best stocks of artisan-made, one-of-a-kind homewares that don’t require a cross-continent trip to collect.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
30 Nov. 2025
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In addition to routes that go into the suburbs around the city, the cross-continent metro line known as the Marmaray connects the metro systems on both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstinent. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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