as in ascetic
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
being abstemious diners, they avoid restaurants with all-you-can-eat buffets
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Recent Examples of abstemious
The solution offered up by some: the sort of abstemious, low-fat, often vegetarian, diets that had been prescribed as lust-control regimens only decades earlier.
—
Rachel Hope Cleves / Made By History, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Caroline Schiff, 38, the executive pastry chef at Brooklyn’s Gage & Tollner, says that a decade ago, abstemious diners often asked for sliced fruit in lieu of sugary creations.
—Ella Quittner, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
For the more abstemious, a bottle of Non3 ($30), a zero-proof sipping drink with notes of cinnamon and yuzu and a slightly tannic finish, alongside a Massimo Lunardon weird-little-dude goblet ($155)—not its official name, but certainly an accurate description of its weird-little-dudeness.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2023
Low mass has always been a Miata virtue, endowing the car with not just precise handling but also an abstemious appetite for tires and fuel.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 21 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for abstemious
Rachel Hope Cleves / Made By History, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
Caroline Schiff, 38, the executive pastry chef at Brooklyn’s Gage & Tollner, says that a decade ago, abstemious diners often asked for sliced fruit in lieu of sugary creations.
—Ella Quittner, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
For the more abstemious, a bottle of Non3 ($30), a zero-proof sipping drink with notes of cinnamon and yuzu and a slightly tannic finish, alongside a Massimo Lunardon weird-little-dude goblet ($155)—not its official name, but certainly an accurate description of its weird-little-dudeness.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2023
Low mass has always been a Miata virtue, endowing the car with not just precise handling but also an abstemious appetite for tires and fuel.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 21 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for abstemious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstemious
Adjective
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The bulk of the album has been painted with a similarly ascetic palette.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 Jan. 2026
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Despite his limitations, Joe displayed an impressive degree of ascetic discipline and a ravenous desire for God.—
Christian Wiman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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After working up an appetite in the more temperate months, meals can be taken at the outdoor dining pavilion alongside the home.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
26 Jan. 2026
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While potholes are most often associated with northern climates, those living in more-temperate regions can encounter them as well.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some people want to remain abstinent to focus on their own personal growth, while others have resorted to it after becoming frustrated with today's dating culture.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
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Ivan Neville has been on a few times and always talks being abstinent.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstemious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstemious. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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