Definition of abstemiousnext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abstemious Some have evolved exceedingly specific diets—diets that would put even the most abstemious human to shame. — Scott Travers, Forbes, 12 Mar. 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 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 But somehow, during his more recent years in Gujarat, Modi had managed to rebrand himself as a sunny, pro-business techno-utopian, an abstemious leader with an intuitive grasp of 21st-century infrastructure and social media. — Mohammad Ali, WIRED, 14 Apr. 2020 See All Example Sentences for abstemious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstemious
Adjective
  • Lakshmana’s final act of service occurs when Kala (time personified), disguised as an ascetic messenger, requests a private audience with Rama.
    — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But there is a certain ascetic simplicity to this labyrinthine heritage building that remains relatively unadorned.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The best months for a temperate visit are March to May and September to November.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 2 Nov. 2026
  • On the other side is Gadi Eisenkot, a centrist former military chief who is temperate and broadly liked but lacks the political instincts to become a clear favorite.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The body of research on non-abstinent recovery has been growing as well.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Not everybody needs to spend the rest of their life totally abstinent with a cup of shitty coffee in a Styrofoam cup regurgitating platitudes.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Abstemious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstemious. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster