monkishness
Definition
Noun: The quality or state of being characteristic of a monk; behavior, appearance, or practices that resemble those of a monk (often used informally or with a slightly critical tone).
Usage Examples
- (His habits resembled those of a monk.)
- (The place had a monastic quality.)
- (She teased him for acting like a monk.)
Advanced Usage
- "monkishness of manner": a way of behaving that is serious, withdrawn, or ascetic.
- The writer’s monkishness of manner made him seem distant at social gatherings. (His reserved, monastic behavior set him apart.)
Variants and Related Words
- Monk (n): a member of a religious community of men, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
- The monk spent his days in prayer and meditation.
- Monkish (adj): relating to or resembling a monk; often implying austerity or isolation.
- His monkish habits included rising at dawn and eating only simple meals.
- Monastic (adj): of or relating to monks, nuns, or their way of life.
- The monastic life requires great discipline.
Synonyms
- Asceticism: the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from indulgence.
- His monkishness was a form of asceticism, rejecting worldly pleasures.
- Seclusion: the state of being private and away from other people.
- The monkishness of her lifestyle led to years of seclusion in the countryside.
- Austerity: sternness or severity of manner or living conditions.
- The room’s monkishness was reflected in its austerity: a bare bed and a wooden chair.
Related Idioms
- Live like a monk: to lead a simple, solitary, and disciplined life.
- After retirement, he lived like a monk, with few possessions and no distractions. (He adopted a monkish lifestyle.)