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Ascetic
A person who practices severe self-denial or abstains from worldly pleasures, often for religious or spiritual reasons.
noun💡
Imagine This
There is a cult, which has believers practice self-denial. The believers have to swim across an acidic lake to demonstrate their faith in order to become members.
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Sounds Like
uh-SET-ik
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Looks Like
ascetic (lowercase) — same spelling; capitalized Ascetic is the noun form
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Remember This
Ascetic (adjective); Asceticism (noun); Ascetically (adverb)
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Other Forms
asceticismnoun
asceticaladjective
asceticallyadverb
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Connect With
monasticism, austerity, abstinence, self-discipline, stoicism
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Note
In modern usage, ascetic describes a lifestyle of austere self-denial. It is not necessarily religious, but it is often associated with religious figures like monks. Be careful not to confuse with abstinent or austere in everyday usage; 'ascetic' implies a deliberate renunciation of comfort.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The ascetic renounced luxury and lived a life of simple meals and long prayers.
- An ascetic monk is often admired for his self-denial and discipline.
Synonyms
austereself-denyingfrugalmonasticabstinent
Antonyms
hedonistsensualistindulgent
Etymology
From Greek askētikos 'belonging to training or exercise', from askētēs 'one who practices training', from askein 'to exercise'.
Mnemonic
ASCETIC stands for Abstains, Subdues cravings, Contends with hardship, Emphasizes temperance, Internal focus, Commitment.
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Ephemeral
adjectiveLasting for only a short time; short-lived.
Intuition
nounIntuition is the ability to understand something immediately, without conscious reasoning; a gut feeling or quick, nonrational insight.
Revolutionary
adjectiveRelating to or causing a radical, transformative change; introducing innovations that drastically alter a field or practice.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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