deny oneself
idiom
: to not allow oneself to enjoy things or to have the things one wants
On this diet, I don't feel like I'm denying myself.
I'm not denying myself the foods that I love, I'm just eating smaller amounts.
He's always denied himself the simple pleasures in life.
Examples of deny oneself in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Contradiction was merely authentic self-expression, the mark of living fully and refusing to deny oneself.
—
The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2021
The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deny oneself.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Deny oneself.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deny%20oneself. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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