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
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
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
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
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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According to Damien Routely, these include messy ownership of decisions and no reliable view of cash or delivery cadence, which indicate a weak and unclear leadership structure; the inability to properly articulate what the business actually is, and a refusal to listen and assimilate feedback.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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In an age when the phone has become our memory, map, diary, and most reliable distraction, Katrantzou has created a series of minaudières, part of the Bulgari Icons project, that offer a polite but pointed refusal.—
Tiziana Cardini,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The financial incentive for airports and airlines to serve alcohol precludes temperance as a solution.—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In recent years, Olathe’s seen more projects move forward that could help address the missing middle housing gap, including a City Council approval on Tuesday to build 71 townhome units, despite the Planning Commission recommending denial, Olathe spokesperson Kennedy said.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
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The president cited the denial of the students’ constitutional rights in federalizing the Arkansas National Guard.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The duo’s renunciation has its limits, though.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Dec. 2025
-
The Court held that Congress has no power under the Constitution to divest a person of his United States citizenship absent his voluntary renunciation of it.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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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
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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 28 Jan. 2026.
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