1
: of, relating to, or resembling a monk
also
: resembling that of a monk
2
: inclined to disciplinary self-denial
Examples of monkish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Obama has retreated into monkish silence, broken only for special occasions such as celebrity deaths and the recording of Bruce Springsteen podcasts.
—
Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 17 July 2024
Cillian Murphy is not sitting at home in monkish penury.
—Vulture, 3 Feb. 2024
The common remark that someone with a peaceful mind will enjoy isolation as monkish solitude whereas someone with a troubled mind will suffer solitude as imprisonment woefully misses the point that a monk typically isn’t in a 48-square-foot cell and is free to leave at any time.
—Sarah Fay, Longreads, 17 Mar. 2020
Except for stints spent travelling, his life was monkish, mostly spent at his Olympia typewriter or, as his projects required, in libraries and archives.
—Max Norman, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for monkish 
Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 17 July 2024
Cillian Murphy is not sitting at home in monkish penury.
—Vulture, 3 Feb. 2024
The common remark that someone with a peaceful mind will enjoy isolation as monkish solitude whereas someone with a troubled mind will suffer solitude as imprisonment woefully misses the point that a monk typically isn’t in a 48-square-foot cell and is free to leave at any time.
—Sarah Fay, Longreads, 17 Mar. 2020
Except for stints spent travelling, his life was monkish, mostly spent at his Olympia typewriter or, as his projects required, in libraries and archives.
—Max Norman, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for monkish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monkish.' 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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Cite this Entry
“Monkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monkish. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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