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
Old family patterns or inner-child wounds could surface, not to derail you, but to remind you that leadership doesn’t mean emotional self-denial.
—
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 21 Dec. 2025
Saint Anthony was an Egyptian monk whose relics were brought to France during the Crusades in the Middle Ages, after inspiring many people to take up seclusion and self-denial.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Crace transports readers two thousand years into the past to a stark Biblical landscape full of visceral encounters, violence, self-denial, and possible miracles.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
But the biblical term for self-denial – inui – has another meaning.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 7 Oct. 2024
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
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
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
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 21 Dec. 2025
Saint Anthony was an Egyptian monk whose relics were brought to France during the Crusades in the Middle Ages, after inspiring many people to take up seclusion and self-denial.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Crace transports readers two thousand years into the past to a stark Biblical landscape full of visceral encounters, violence, self-denial, and possible miracles.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
But the biblical term for self-denial – inui – has another meaning.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 7 Oct. 2024
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-denial
Noun
-
Trump said he has been deeply frustrated with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s refusal to lower interest rates faster, which the president sees as a potential boon for the economy.—
Marissa Martinez,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Think of George Washington’s refusal of a third term.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the case of Steve Jobs, his incredible strength in transcendence tips into excess because it is not supported by other dimensions of character, such as patience, calm, and self-regulation that come from temperance, and the humility and humanity to see other points of view.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
On a single day in 1900, a former schoolteacher destroyed three saloons using bricks, rocks, and a billiard ball—all to advance the cause of temperance.—
The Atlantic Science Desk,
The Atlantic,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
But on Wednesday, Tchekmedyian and Pringle reported that Bass was involved in the revisions despite her earlier denials.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
His defense of Poland’s actions during World War II and denial of any Polish role in the Holocaust has driven outrage from Israel, especially on account of his Jewish heritage, while winning him praise in Poland.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Annual renunciations surged to a record high of 6,705 in 2020, with numbers remaining elevated ever since, according to immigration services company Boundless.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Oddly, the move comes not as a renunciation but as a new adventure.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Not one for false abnegation of words distorted by smears, Rushdie doubles down on his right to freedom of expression, defending his dissent from religious orthodoxy.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
-
That, for me, feels like an abnegation of our responsibility in theater.—
Sarah Crompton,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-denial. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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