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
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
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
-
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.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 May 2026
-
Grothendieck was intense and ascetic from his early days.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lunchtimes are more abstemious with avocado and tuna packed poke bowls and watermelon salad at the W lounge.—
Jemima Sissons,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
His first term now looks practically abstemious.—
Erin Neil,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The evolutionary solution, for most temperate insects, is to use the light signal as the primary trigger and treat temperature as a secondary modifier.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Kelp fringes nearly a third of the planet’s coastlines and is an iconic feature of temperate waters, from California and Chile to Norway, Japan, and Australia.—
Tatjana Baleta,
Time,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The headline-splashing arrest came after LaBeouf claimed to be sober, blaming past abusive behavior on alcoholism.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
-
The point of the trip is tasting bourbon, which means someone has to stay sober behind the wheel.—
Lauren Schuster,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abstinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstinent. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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