variants
also ascetical
as in monastic
formal
relating to or having a strict and simple way of living that avoids physical pleasure
He committed to having an ascetic existence during his rehab. an ascetic diet of rice and beans
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Dissimilar Words
as in prude
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ascetic
Henry Wiencek
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Quarantine by Jim Crace This 1997 novel follows Jesus during his 40-day ascetic retreat to a desert cave.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
Martin lived an ascetic and solitary life, and often denounced overly cerebral art.
—Melissa Febos, The Atlantic, 9 June 2025
And yet when people need a portal into or proxy for spiritual awakening, Alice Coltrane’s music often becomes integral, a newfound household name, because her staggered textures are gracious enough to accommodate both the ascetic and the philistine.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascetic
Noun
Wells was as quiet as White was loud, as eccentric as White was flamboyant, as ascetic as White was sensual.
—Henry Wiencek
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Quarantine by Jim Crace This 1997 novel follows Jesus during his 40-day ascetic retreat to a desert cave.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
Martin lived an ascetic and solitary life, and often denounced overly cerebral art.
—Melissa Febos, The Atlantic, 9 June 2025
And yet when people need a portal into or proxy for spiritual awakening, Alice Coltrane’s music often becomes integral, a newfound household name, because her staggered textures are gracious enough to accommodate both the ascetic and the philistine.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascetic
Adjective
-
With a frill-less monastic setting, this institution has several London locations, but Smithfield is the OG, serving signature dishes like roasted bone marrow and oven-hot madeleines available by the dozen and half dozen.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The story of a woman’s retreat into monastic life is familiar; somewhat less familiar is Wood’s use of the modular form.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Tate Mcrae embraces the sheer trend The VMAs red carpet is no place for prudes.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Give the Original ‘Twister’ a Spin Barbara Peeters is no prude.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
19 July 2024
Adjective
-
The developments led Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s socialist and authoritarian leader, to threaten to declare a state of emergency earlier this week.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The book is a policy handbook meant to address the realities of political life following the turmoil of the French Revolution, presenting a Christian alternative to both the authoritarian secular liberalism and counterrevolutionary movements of the day.—
Indianapolis Star,
IndyStar,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s often some kind of hitch, but still, most agents are straight arrows who play by the book.—
LEW SICHELMAN,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2025
-
Purdy was such a straight arrow as a kid, his worst transgressions were playing doorbell ditch, Patchett said.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
The Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
Another essay in the collection, written by Sarah Maitland, is more exacting.—
Anna Bruno
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The watch is offered in exceptional condition, preserved in line with the most exacting standards of connoisseurship, the auction house said.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Over the nearly three years since ChatGPT’s launch in November 2022, generative AI has created a frenzy that has radiated like the midday summer sun—hot and unrelenting.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In a discipline built on unrelenting argument and daring questions, the ability to shift course in light of stronger reasoning is not weakness but a philosopher’s deepest obligation.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
To their credit, Wild GM Bill Guerin and owner Craig Leipold were adamant that wasn’t going to happen and got a deal done.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
His family, as well as his legal team, are adamant that Combs has been rehabilitated and should be released.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The festival would know that better than most, juxtaposing classical music—and its expectation of monkish silence—with the heart of Chicago’s downtown, and the human mix therein.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Obama has retreated into monkish silence, broken only for special occasions such as celebrity deaths and the recording of Bruce Springsteen podcasts.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
17 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Ascetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascetic. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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