Meaning & use
ascetic
Last updated
Practicing severe self-discipline and avoidance of physical pleasures, often for spiritual reasons.
See it in a sentence
The monk lived an ascetic life, owning nothing beyond a robe and a bowl.
She adopted an almost ascetic daily routine while training for the marathon.
A note on using this word
Also used as a noun for a person who lives this way ("an ascetic"); distinct from "aesthetic," a common spelling confusion.
Words with a similar meaning
austereself-denying
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. noun
A person who practices strict self-discipline and abstains from worldly pleasures.
The desert ascetics of early Christianity withdrew from society entirely.
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