1
as in refusal
the act or practice of giving up or rejecting something once enjoyed or desired
dieting is an endless exercise in self-denial
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in temperance
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
self-indulgent even when she was poor, she wasn't about to practice self-denial after getting rich
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-denial
On Ash Wednesday, many Christians go to church for a service that emphasizes the start of a season of reflection, self-denial and repentance from sin.
—
ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Old family patterns or inner-child wounds could surface, not to derail you, but to remind you that leadership doesn’t mean emotional self-denial.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 21 Dec. 2025
Saint Anthony was an Egyptian monk whose relics were brought to France during the Crusades in the Middle Ages, after inspiring many people to take up seclusion and self-denial.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Crace transports readers two thousand years into the past to a stark Biblical landscape full of visceral encounters, violence, self-denial, and possible miracles.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
But the biblical term for self-denial – inui – has another meaning.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 7 Oct. 2024
Loneliness gets to the heart of the spiritual dissatisfaction and self-denial seen post-Covid and in both the pro-Hamas and pro–George Floyd rioting.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 May 2024
The last week of January in particular would be an excellent time to decamp somewhere pretty, travel for pleasure, or do some spiritual seeking (but maybe the kind that comes with laughter and good food, and not strict rules and self-denial).
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2023
Shocking self-indulgence sits cheek by jowl with self-denial.
—Tobi Haslett, Harper's Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
Old family patterns or inner-child wounds could surface, not to derail you, but to remind you that leadership doesn’t mean emotional self-denial.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 21 Dec. 2025
Saint Anthony was an Egyptian monk whose relics were brought to France during the Crusades in the Middle Ages, after inspiring many people to take up seclusion and self-denial.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Crace transports readers two thousand years into the past to a stark Biblical landscape full of visceral encounters, violence, self-denial, and possible miracles.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
But the biblical term for self-denial – inui – has another meaning.
—Rabbi Avi Weiss, Sun Sentinel, 7 Oct. 2024
Loneliness gets to the heart of the spiritual dissatisfaction and self-denial seen post-Covid and in both the pro-Hamas and pro–George Floyd rioting.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 May 2024
The last week of January in particular would be an excellent time to decamp somewhere pretty, travel for pleasure, or do some spiritual seeking (but maybe the kind that comes with laughter and good food, and not strict rules and self-denial).
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2023
Shocking self-indulgence sits cheek by jowl with self-denial.
—Tobi Haslett, Harper's Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-denial
Noun
-
The rise in popularity suggests that Anthropic is benefiting from its presence in news headlines, stemming from its refusal to have its models used for mass domestic surveillance or for fully autonomous weapons.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The Pentagon's dispute with Anthropic stems from the AI startup's refusal to remove safeguards that would prevent its technology from being used to target weapons autonomously and conduct surveillance in the United States.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the case of Steve Jobs, his incredible strength in transcendence tips into excess because it is not supported by other dimensions of character, such as patience, calm, and self-regulation that come from temperance, and the humility and humanity to see other points of view.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
On a single day in 1900, a former schoolteacher destroyed three saloons using bricks, rocks, and a billiard ball—all to advance the cause of temperance.—
The Atlantic Science Desk,
The Atlantic,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Roughly a quarter of trans and nonbinary people who have not updated their identification documents experience subsequent mistreatment when showing their IDs, including verbal harassment, assault and denial of services or access to settings.—
Noelle Martin,
The Conversation,
1 Mar. 2026
-
But an outfit like Salesforce is just in denial.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
British psychiatrist Humphry Osmond, who took part in a peyote ceremony with a First Nations group the Red Pheasant Band in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1956, intuited the necessity of community, empathy, and ego renunciation during the psychedelic process.—
Erica Rex,
STAT,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Keep in mind, though, that renunciation is considered permanent.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Not one for false abnegation of words distorted by smears, Rushdie doubles down on his right to freedom of expression, defending his dissent from religious orthodoxy.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
-
That, for me, feels like an abnegation of our responsibility in theater.—
Sarah Crompton,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-denial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-denial. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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