1
as in refusal
the act or practice of giving up or rejecting something once enjoyed or desired
dieting is an endless exercise in self-denial
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in temperance
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
self-indulgent even when she was poor, she wasn't about to practice self-denial after getting rich
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-denial
But the biblical term for self-denial – inui – has another meaning.
—
Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 7 Oct. 2024
The Ford Focus Electric, with its appealing, Euro-hatchback lines, lacks the frumpy feel of self-denial often associated with electric cars.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2012
Loneliness gets to the heart of the spiritual dissatisfaction and self-denial seen post-Covid and in both the pro-Hamas and pro–George Floyd rioting.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 May 2024
Crace transports readers 2,000 years into the past to a stark Biblical landscape full of visceral encounters, violence, self-denial, and possible miracles.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2024
The last week of January in particular would be an excellent time to decamp somewhere pretty, travel for pleasure, or do some spiritual seeking (but maybe the kind that comes with laughter and good food, and not strict rules and self-denial).
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2023
Shocking self-indulgence sits cheek by jowl with self-denial.
—Tobi Haslett, Harper's Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
That an ancient philosophy based on self-denial could find an audience among TikTokers, subredditors, and gladiatorial millionaires suggested two possibilities: Stoicism either had quite a lot going for it, or nothing at all.
—Tom Bissell, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 7 Oct. 2024
The Ford Focus Electric, with its appealing, Euro-hatchback lines, lacks the frumpy feel of self-denial often associated with electric cars.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2012
Loneliness gets to the heart of the spiritual dissatisfaction and self-denial seen post-Covid and in both the pro-Hamas and pro–George Floyd rioting.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 May 2024
Crace transports readers 2,000 years into the past to a stark Biblical landscape full of visceral encounters, violence, self-denial, and possible miracles.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 29 Mar. 2024
The last week of January in particular would be an excellent time to decamp somewhere pretty, travel for pleasure, or do some spiritual seeking (but maybe the kind that comes with laughter and good food, and not strict rules and self-denial).
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2023
Shocking self-indulgence sits cheek by jowl with self-denial.
—Tobi Haslett, Harper's Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
That an ancient philosophy based on self-denial could find an audience among TikTokers, subredditors, and gladiatorial millionaires suggested two possibilities: Stoicism either had quite a lot going for it, or nothing at all.
—Tom Bissell, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-denial
Noun
-
Menjivar said in a news release Tuesday that she was removed from a budget subcommittee due to her refusal to approve the Medi-Cal proposals, including an enrollment freeze for undocumented immigrants, and new premiums for the population.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2025
-
That refusal cost him dearly, resulting in his execution by decapitation.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
For example, a person with strong justice, accountability, courage, drive, and integrity will need strength in dimensions such as temperance, humility, and humanity to exercise the necessary judgment, avoiding self-righteousness and dogmatism.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
-
Europe’s temperance movement One trend where Asahi expects Europeans to follow Japan is in a movement towards temperance.—
BYRyan Hogg,
Fortune Europe,
1 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
The impact on international travelers varies: tourism, work, and student visa applicants from affected countries may face delays or denials.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
-
What begins as a secret fling between two confused teenagers at 17 evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self- discovery.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
5 June 2025
Noun
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But Kim’s renunciation of reunification and deepening ties with Russia limit expectations for diplomacy.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
3 June 2025
-
The key to making neutrality work for Ukraine is shaping it in a way that ensures that renunciation of NATO membership does not come at the expense of the country’s self-defense or its prospects for an economic and political future in the West.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Mar. 2022
Noun
-
The feats, the ecstasies, the prostrations and abnegations.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
-
The explicit and quasi-religious abnegation of the right to violent self-defense put the national committee at odds with one of its key allies during the Saturday march: Black Lives Matter.—
Samantha Eyler,
Foreign Affairs,
31 Jan. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Self-denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-denial. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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