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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Even with its lack of confidence in the first half and a stubborn refusal to evolve its dress-up systems, Infinity Nikki captivates the imagination.Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
-
His refusal to allow independent investigations into corruption scandals involving his wife and other high-ranking officials has further deepened the divide between the president and his adversaries.Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Following a series of phone calls to the bank, none of which were notable for their diplomatic temperance on my part, an underwriter clarified that my business credit report had been flagged, not my personal one—a detail the form letter had failed to clarify.Levi King, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
-
Yet, the history of the temperance movement exposes the danger of these tactics.Elizabeth Marshall / Made by History, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
When her team received the denial for Benji’s care, McCoy set out to gather hard evidence to demonstrate the necessity of his treatment.Annie Waldman, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024
-
People all over social media posted their experiences with claims denials.Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The very public renunciation sent shock waves through the world of philanthropy, and both donors and institutions reeled.Mary Holland, Robb Report, 1 Dec. 2024
-
Conclusion: Agency Portals as Fragile as Cobwebs Despite Biden’s renunciation of the Trump project, many guidance documents remain unburied.Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
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
-
Is that an abnegation of interviewer responsibility?David Marchese David Marchese Photograph by Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near self-denial
Cite this Entry
“Self-denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-denial. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share