SELF-DENYING Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

self-denying

adjective

ˌself-di-ˈnī-iŋ

Definition of self-denying

as in ascetic

given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites found the self-denying life of the monks at the monastery unexpectedly appealing

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of self-denying The tension between the self-denying demands of being a Kennedy wife and Carolyn’s assured self-determination sets the framework for this love story. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026 Like Congress passing campaign-finance regulation actually is like a pretty self-denying thing Congress has done. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026 Director Olivier Py’s production, staged here by director Daniel Izzo, takes the blacks, grays and whites of the nun’s habit and turns them into a visual metaphor for self-denying modesty. — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2022 The thriving wineries of modern-day Australia would no doubt astonish those Lutheran pioneers, not to mention the self-denying John Muir — although they surely would be fascinated by how botany has been modernized and commercialized. — Tony Perrottet, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-denying

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

Definition of ascetic

Adjective

Best Time to Visit Bellevue’s location in the heart of the Pacific Northwest means that its weather is generally temperate, with mild, rainy springs and warm, sunny summers.

— Sara Harowitz, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
This correlation is also stronger in more temperate regions than tropics, and in countries with fewer human impacts on the environment.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2026

Definition of temperate

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self-denials

self-denying

self-dependence

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“Self-denying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-denying. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of self-denying

adjective

Example Sentences

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