as in ascetic
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
grew up in a family where abstinent behavior was expected and self-indulgence of any kind was scorned and castigated
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Recent Examples of abstinent
One of the sacrifices Dolan mentioned in his speech was staying abstinent.
—
Mark Harris Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is a day where Catholics are obliged to fast and stay abstinent throughout the day until midnight.
—
Mariyam Muhammad,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Apr. 2026
At the end of six months, those who had taken just one dose of psilocybin had more than six times greater odds of being abstinent from cigarettes than their counterparts who relied on the nicotine substitute.
—
Will Stone,
NPR,
10 Mar. 2026
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
Ivan Neville has been on a few times and always talks being abstinent.
—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
As a purist, Murray defines sobriety as being completely abstinent from habit-forming substances that could cause dependency, including prescription drugs like Xanax and Suboxone.
—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
23 Sep. 2025
Mark Harris Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is a day where Catholics are obliged to fast and stay abstinent throughout the day until midnight.
—
Mariyam Muhammad,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Apr. 2026
At the end of six months, those who had taken just one dose of psilocybin had more than six times greater odds of being abstinent from cigarettes than their counterparts who relied on the nicotine substitute.
—
Will Stone,
NPR,
10 Mar. 2026
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
Ivan Neville has been on a few times and always talks being abstinent.
—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
As a purist, Murray defines sobriety as being completely abstinent from habit-forming substances that could cause dependency, including prescription drugs like Xanax and Suboxone.
—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstinent
Adjective
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Once inside, warm, tropical breezes flow into the hotel’s ascetic, nevertheless grand lobby, wafting you towards a magical cloister filled with plants and robust Botero sculptures.
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Grothendieck was intense and ascetic from his early days.
Adjective
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Lunchtimes are more abstemious with avocado and tuna packed poke bowls and watermelon salad at the W lounge.
-
His first term now looks practically abstemious.
Adjective
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Spain's national weather service, Aemet, issued red alerts Tuesday for temperatures of 111 degrees Fahrenheit in southern Andalusia as well as warnings of thermometers hitting 104 degrees in the normally temperate Cantabria and the Basque Country regions along its northern Atlantic coast.
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Spain’s national weather service, Aemet, issued red alerts Tuesday for temperatures of 44 C (111 F) in southern Andalusia as well as warnings of thermometers hitting 40 C (104 F) in the normally temperate Cantabria and the Basque Country regions along its northern Atlantic coast.
Adjective
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The life and soul of the party, or the sober companion quietly nursing sparkling water.
-
Multiple failed attempts to get sober followed before Grande hit an all-time low in the summer of 2017.
Cite this Entry
“Abstinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstinent. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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