as in ascetic
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
obviously not for the self-abnegating vacationer, this luxury resort is for those whose budgets and appetites know no limit
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Recent Examples of self-abnegating
One of the West’s most glaring vulnerabilities to the influence of Russia—and China and Iran—is Hungary’s self-abnegating obeisance to those countries.
—
Mitch McConnell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
The president was characteristically decent and self-abnegating in his remarks.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-abnegating
Adjective
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Despite his limitations, Joe displayed an impressive degree of ascetic discipline and a ravenous desire for God.—
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The fantastical park resembles a theatre set, rife with spiritual allegory and modeled on an ascetic’s dream of utopia.—
Adjective
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Some have evolved exceedingly specific diets—diets that would put even the most abstemious human to shame.—
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The solution offered up by some: the sort of abstemious, low-fat, often vegetarian, diets that had been prescribed as lust-control regimens only decades earlier.—
Adjective
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The good thing is, most plants native to temperate parts of the globe evolved ways to deal with the annual seasonal cycle.—
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Heating the indoor air in winter means the air will retain more moisture (it won't be dispersed to help humidify plants or your sinuses), but lowering the thermostat to a temperate 68 degrees F can help increase relative humidity in your home, and this can help your houseplants stay vibrant.—
Cite this Entry
“Self-abnegating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-abnegating. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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