as in ascetic
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
found the self-denying life of the monks at the monastery unexpectedly appealing
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Recent Examples of self-denying
Like Congress passing campaign-finance regulation actually is like a pretty self-denying thing Congress has done.
—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
The tension between the self-denying demands of being a Kennedy wife and Carolyn’s assured self-determination sets the framework for this love story.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
The thriving wineries of modern-day Australia would no doubt astonish those Lutheran pioneers, not to mention the self-denying John Muir — although they surely would be fascinated by how botany has been modernized and commercialized.
—
Tony Perrottet,
Travel + Leisure,
25 June 2024
Director Olivier Py’s production, staged here by director Daniel Izzo, takes the blacks, grays and whites of the nun’s habit and turns them into a visual metaphor for self-denying modesty.
—
Joshua Kosman,
San Francisco Chronicle,
16 Oct. 2022
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
The tension between the self-denying demands of being a Kennedy wife and Carolyn’s assured self-determination sets the framework for this love story.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
The thriving wineries of modern-day Australia would no doubt astonish those Lutheran pioneers, not to mention the self-denying John Muir — although they surely would be fascinated by how botany has been modernized and commercialized.
—
Tony Perrottet,
Travel + Leisure,
25 June 2024
Director Olivier Py’s production, staged here by director Daniel Izzo, takes the blacks, grays and whites of the nun’s habit and turns them into a visual metaphor for self-denying modesty.
—
Joshua Kosman,
San Francisco Chronicle,
16 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-denying
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.
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Grothendieck was intense and ascetic from his early days.
Adjective
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Lunchtimes are more abstemious with avocado and tuna packed poke bowls and watermelon salad at the W lounge.
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His first term now looks practically abstemious.
Adjective
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Best Time to Visit Since San Luis Obispo is located near California's coast, the climate stays temperate all year round.
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With warm temperatures in the summer that remain temperate through the winter, there’s never a bad time to visit Biloxi.
Cite this Entry
“Self-denying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-denying. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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