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
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
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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How can a kindly, God-fearing, and ascetic novice monk compete against that?—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
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In fact, the ascetic value of fasting from meat required that the person otherwise enjoy it.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Some have evolved exceedingly specific diets—diets that would put even the most abstemious human to shame.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Yes, holiday cactus thrives outside during summer in temperate conditions.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
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Winter is also a good time to plant bare-root trees and hardy shrubs in temperate climates.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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DePina rented a room in a sober-living house on one side of the tracks and was crossing to get to a group meeting on the other side.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
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Maddie, who fled her home as a teenager after stealing a five-figure sum from her parents, is now sober and raising Caroline alone.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Schneider reflects on Game 5 ‘what-ifs’ A cross-continent flight and 21 hours later, Schneider stepped in front of reporters.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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Her razor-sharp songwriting, which is quippy like Kacey Musgraves and relatable like Taylor Swift, documents Zoee's cross-continent move, a handful of heartbreaks, and reflections on femininity.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstinent. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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