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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-denial
What begins as an effortful act of self-denial gradually becomes an expression of identity.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
At the beginning of her relationship with John, Carolyn’s central problem was that being part of the Kennedy family demanded some level of self-denial.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
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
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 Ford Focus Electric, with its appealing, Euro-hatchback lines, lacks the frumpy feel of self-denial often associated with electric cars.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2012
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
At the beginning of her relationship with John, Carolyn’s central problem was that being part of the Kennedy family demanded some level of self-denial.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
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
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 Ford Focus Electric, with its appealing, Euro-hatchback lines, lacks the frumpy feel of self-denial often associated with electric cars.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-denial
Noun
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In a city where more than 145 languages are spoken, and every neighborhood carries the flavors of somewhere else, the drinking scene reflects that same refusal to be pinned down.—
Carrie Honaker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 June 2026
-
But his refusal to put anything in writing, and the president's continued praise for the plan, have made some senators skeptical.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Moral judgments like these became part of the school curriculum in the late 19th century, as the temperance movement gained momentum toward its goal of total abstinence.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
3 May 2026
-
The temperance, abolition, and civil-rights movements in America were all motivated in part by religious convictions.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Now after the denial of DeMore, the Parole Board still does not have a member with a prosecutorial background.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
Friedkin, who died in 2023 and is seen only in archival interviews, now seems disingenuous in some of his denials that the film was exploitative, especially with regard to the murder that inspired it.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Carney is a moralist, a filmmaker of fidelity—and of renunciation, depicting the romantic near-misses and what-ifs that his characters leave behind.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
-
The numbers from the report are compiled from citizenship renunciation records, overseas residency registrations and survey data tracking American interest in living overseas.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
28 May 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 8 Jun. 2026.
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