abstemious

/æb'sti:mjəs/

Thân thiện

An abstemious person chooses a small salad for lunch.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Marked by restraint or moderation, especially in eating and drinking: Describes a person who chooses to consume very little food or alcohol, often as a matter of habit or principle.
   • Sparing in the use or consumption of something: Can extend to being moderate or restrained in other indulgences beyond food and drink.

Usage and Examples

• Describing moderate consumption:
  • He led an abstemious life, avoiding rich foods and alcohol.
  • Her abstemious habits contributed to her longevity and good health.
• Describing something simple or meager due to restraint:
  • They were served an abstemious meal of bread and soup.
  • The monk's cell was abstemious in its furnishings.

Advanced Usage

• "Abstemious with": Used to specify the thing one is moderate or sparing with.
  • She is abstemious with her praise, giving compliments only when truly deserved. (This usage, while found in literature, is less common than the primary meaning related to consumption.)
• In a broader, often figurative sense, it can describe a style that is notably plain or lacking in excess.
  • The author's abstemious prose, devoid of flowery language, was powerful in its simplicity.

Variants and Related Words

• Abstemiously (adverb): In a restrained or moderate manner.
  • He lived abstemiously, finding contentment in simplicity.
• Abstemiousness (noun): The quality or practice of being abstemious.
  • Her abstemiousness was well known among her friends.

Synonyms

• Temperate: Showing moderation or self-restraint.
• Ascetic: Practicing severe self-discipline and abstention from indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
• Sparing: Moderate; economical.
• Frugal: Sparing or economical with regard to money or food.

Antonyms

• Gluttonous: Excessively greedy.
• Indulgent: Characterized by giving in to one's desires.
• Voracious: Wanting or consuming great quantities.
• Intemperate: Lacking moderation or self-control.

Notes on Meaning

The core meaning of "abstemious" is specifically tied to moderation in consuming food and drink. While it can be extended metaphorically to other areas (like being "abstemious with words"), this is a secondary, less frequent usage. The word often carries a positive connotation of self-discipline and healthfulness.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. marked by temperance in indulgence
   • abstemious with the use of adverbs
   • a light eater
   • a light smoker
   • ate a light supper
2. sparing in consumption of especially food and drink
   • the pleasures of the table, never of much consequence to one naturally abstemious- John Galsworthy

Từ đồng nghĩa

• light