as in ascetic
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
being abstemious diners, they avoid restaurants with all-you-can-eat buffets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 abstemious
Caroline Schiff, 38, the executive pastry chef at Brooklyn’s Gage & Tollner, says that a decade ago, abstemious diners often asked for sliced fruit in lieu of sugary creations.
—
Ella Quittner, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
For the more abstemious, a bottle of Non3 ($30), a zero-proof sipping drink with notes of cinnamon and yuzu and a slightly tannic finish, alongside a Massimo Lunardon weird-little-dude goblet ($155)—not its official name, but certainly an accurate description of its weird-little-dudeness.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2023
While that might sound painfully abstemious or downright torturous, We Care has a few key things going for it.
—Liz Krieger, Town & Country, 1 Mar. 2023
In Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood, you’re reminded that South Korea is neither homogeneous nor locked into an abstemious order.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for abstemious
Ella Quittner, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
For the more abstemious, a bottle of Non3 ($30), a zero-proof sipping drink with notes of cinnamon and yuzu and a slightly tannic finish, alongside a Massimo Lunardon weird-little-dude goblet ($155)—not its official name, but certainly an accurate description of its weird-little-dudeness.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2023
While that might sound painfully abstemious or downright torturous, We Care has a few key things going for it.
—Liz Krieger, Town & Country, 1 Mar. 2023
In Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood, you’re reminded that South Korea is neither homogeneous nor locked into an abstemious order.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for abstemious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstemious
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
Located on the North Island near the Manawatū River, Palmerston (Palmy, colloquially) is representative of many cities around the world, with a largely temperate climate and a population of around 91,000 residents.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 May 2025
-
Today, these ants primarily live in undisturbed and temperate eastern North American forests.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abstemious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstemious. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share