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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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-denying
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
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
-
Housed in a bulletproof case, the delicate bones reveal the saint’s ascetic life while strict security protects relics from historical theft.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Later in life Foucault will become more ascetic, but not yet.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 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
-
Great white sharks frequently travel north in the summer and south in the winter, a habit experts suspect has to do with preferring more temperate waters.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The answer was right under its nose—the original site of Art Basel, the namesake of the companies’ major cultural piece of IP, which also happens to be within the serene borders of Switzerland but in a more temperate Rhineland climate.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-denying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-denying. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
