ascetic
adjective
Did you know?
Ascetic comes from askētikos, a Greek adjective meaning "laborious." Ultimately, it comes from the Greek verb askein, which means "to exercise" or "to work." There aren't many other English words from askein, but there's no dearth of synonyms for ascetic. Severe and austere, for example, are two words that share with ascetic the basic meaning "given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint." Ascetic implies abstention from pleasure, comfort, and self-indulgence as spiritual discipline, whereas severe implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness (as in "severe military discipline"). Austere stresses absence of warmth, color, or feeling and may apply to rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial (as in "living an austere life in the country").
Example Sentences
Tom Harpole, Air & Space, December 1999/January 2000 By Hollywood standards, Calley's career path may seem enigmatic, but then, so is his personality. If Mark Canton, the previous Sony president, was the boastful, Armani-clad big spender, Calley is downright ascetic, a man who disdains Hollywood profligacy. Peter Bart, GQ, August 1997 He converted to Catholicism and, after a long period of intense self-questioning, became a Trappist monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, which, at the time, was as ascetic and demanding as any monastery of the Middle Ages. Julius Lester, Falling Pieces of the Broken Sky, 1990 Luke Winkie, Bon Appétit, 31 Aug. 2022 Omar, who was known for his ascetic lifestyle and aversion to foreigners, died in hiding in 2013; his successor, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, was more worldly. New York Times, 8 Aug. 2022 Fasting, which is often considered ascetic, is actually compatible with a deep appreciation of food. Kyle Boelte, Outside Online, 10 May 2017 Stanislavski saw his students as votaries in an ascetic cult. New York Times, 3 Aug. 2022 Ravi Dutt, the 69-year-old Hindu ascetic from eastern West Bengal state, was camping near the cave on Friday evening. Aijaz Hussain, ajc, 9 July 2022 This dissident and ascetic religious group, then considered heretics, gathered in this part of Europe during the 12th century. Terry Ward, CNN, 7 July 2022 By the time Orbán ran for reëlection earlier this year, Dreher had completed his transition from aspiring ascetic to partisan booster. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 27 June 2022 His eyebrows seemingly shaved and face often obscured by a scarf, Saul presents a curious figure, one who’s at once an artist, ninja and religious ascetic. New York Times, 2 June 2022 See More Word History
Greek askētikos, literally, laborious, from askētēs one that exercises, hermit, from askein to work, exercise
1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1
ascetic 1 of 2
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- monastic
- authoritarian
- exacting
- rigorous
- monkish
- adamant
- strict
- demanding
- hard
- austere
- tough
- relentless
- rigid
- stern
- harsh
- severe
- steadfast
- flinty
- merciless
- uncompromising
- pitiless
- unforgiving
- unbending
- hardened
- uncharitable
- relentless
- implacable
- unrelenting
- ramrod
- inflexible
- dour
- unyielding
- callous
- adamantine
- immovable
- heavy-handed
- ossified
- unsparing
- gruff
- determined
- chaste
- hard-line
- stiff
- celibate
- unflinching
- rock-ribbed
- obstinate
- hard-hearted
- browbeating
- bullying
- resolved
- dogged
- single-minded
- intractable
- disciplined
- firm
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- easygoing
- charitable
- patient
- mild
- merciful
- easy
- kind
- undemanding
- soft
- softhearted
- laid-back
- compromising
- accepting
- agreeable
- flexible
- indulgent
- yielding
- acquiescent
- willing
- responsive
- gentle
- amenable
- lenient
- complaisant
- forbearing
- lax
- compliant
- pliant
- pliable
- tolerant
- clement
ascetic
2 of 2noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- prude
- killjoy
- straight arrow
- fuddy-duddy
- wet blanket
- spoilsport
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sensualist
- hedonist
- voluptuary
- sybarite
- debauchee
- decadent
- glutton
- epicure
- Cyrenaic
- gourmand
- Epicurean
- bon vivant
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of ascetic are austere, severe, and stern. While all these words mean "given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint," ascetic implies abstention from pleasure and comfort or self-indulgence as spiritual discipline.
The words austere and ascetic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, austere stresses absence of warmth, color, or feeling and may apply to rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial.
The synonyms severe and ascetic are sometimes interchangeable, but severe implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness.
While in some cases nearly identical to ascetic, stern stresses inflexibility and inexorability of temper or character.