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
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
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
-
In a sentencing order, the judge said Martinez’s refusal to express remorse for his criminal conduct closed off the judge’s ability to deliver a sentence lower than the 34 months requested by prosecutors.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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Elsewhere, Javier Bardem arrived with a keffiyeh around his neck before using his red-carpet interviews to state his refusal to work with organizations affiliated with Israel.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The temperance movement, which aimed to reduce alcohol use, gained steam in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The movie clip reveals how much temperance, humanity, and transcendence Mary Jackson needs to navigate a system that has embedded injustices that few see or understand.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While non-State armed groups are said to be responsible for almost 50% of grave violations, government forces were the main perpetrators of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Protecting your own mental state is not avoidance or denial.—
Annie Margaret,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Sweet Dove Died is considered Pym’s most Jamesian work and there are inflections of the Master in the themes of falling out of love, renunciation, and collecting—the pursuit of beauty falling short.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
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Oddly, the move comes not as a renunciation but as a new adventure.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Mike’s journey in the film is one of abnegation and humility, which Arbery (and, presumably, Gavras) might suggest is one way to deal with the ever-mounting apocalyptic unease that has gripped much of the world of late.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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The feats, the ecstasies, the prostrations and abnegations.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-denial. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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