self-denial

[self-di-nahy-uhl, self-]

noun

1. the sacrifice of one's own desires; unselfishness.

2. an act or instance of restraining or curbing one's desires.

   To reduce, one has to practice self-denial at the dinner table.

self-denial

noun

1. the denial or sacrifice of one's own desires

Other Word Forms

• self-denying adjective
• self-denyingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-denial¹

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

So the question facing him was whether another four-year cycle of discipline and self-denial was worth it for the chance to bridge that blink of an eye.

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Or they might miss out on joyous experiences by living in constant self-denial.

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Shannon is baffled by her self-denial, but Hannah has attained an understanding of home not as a physical place but as a spiritual bulwark, born out of love and patient respect.

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As Liz Charlotte Grant at the Revealer recently wrote, the book appeals to those "hungry for romance," turning that longing into an argument for self-denial.

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“That form of self-denial is something I’m just not doing,” he continued in a video on Instagram.

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