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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This simple tank since it can be worn on its own to keep you temperate during toasty flights, and it’s made with the brand’s DreamKnit Fabric that results in an unbelievably soft finish.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Nov. 2025
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Research, however, has tended to focus on temperate lakesrather than those in the tropics, despite their huge vulnerability to intense warming.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Whether the start of a full new chapter for the rapper or a one-off detour, Stardust reinforces the idea that, even newly sober, Brown remains one of the most exciting and least predictable artists in hip-hop.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
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The event organizing website reported seeing a 92% increase in sober-curious gatherings and a nearly 500% uptick in clubbing events and daytime dance parties at coffee shops in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period of 2024.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The 121st World Series will head back cross-continent for at least a Game 6 at the end of the week in Toronto’s Rogers Centre.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Abstinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstinent. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
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