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Glite Dictionary
👑 To renounce 🚫 To give up
to abnegate

to abnegate

9.9
To stop yourself from having something you want, like a treat
  • verb
  • /ˈæb.nɪˌɡeɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : abnegar
  • He chose to abnegate his own desires in order to support his family's needs.

Examples

  • In her quest for self-improvement, she decided to abnegate her bad habits.

  • Many people find it challenging to abnegate their comforts for a greater good.

  • It's about two like people abnegating social convention.

    Miller's Girl (2024)

  • Your description sounds as though you predicate treatment on the delusion that the way for the patient to 'improve' is to buy into the idea that the problem is not the inherent abusiveness of that, but instead that the person doesn't sufficiently enjoy being entirely self-abnegating.

    Blog text (2)

Synonyms

to deny
vsto abnegate
423 1.6

To refuse to let someone have something

is deliberate personal giving up rather than merely refusing supply or access
to abandon
vsto abnegate
401 3.8

Stop supporting an idea or plan

is active self-denial of desire or habit, not just ceasing support
to renounce
vsto abnegate
  • Formal
69 6.3

To give up a right, belief, job, or position officially

is private self-denial rather than public formal giving up
to abstain
vsto abnegate
18 5.0

To choose not to take something, often for health or religious reasons

is broader self-denial including stopping desires or beliefs, not only acts
to abjure
vsto abnegate
  • Formal
3 9.9

To give up a belief or support publicly under pressure

is voluntary self-denial, not mainly a pressured or sworn act
to foreswear
vsto abnegate
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To publicly promise to give up a belief, habit, or claim

is a deliberate private denial, not necessarily a solemn formal pledge

Antonyms

to indulge
68 4.3

To allow yourself to enjoy something pleasant, often more than needed

embrace
20 3.4

A warm, willing acceptance of someone or an idea

How Self-Denying

to sacrifice
394 3.4
to renounce
  • Formal
69 6.3
to abnegate
  • Formal
9.9
to forgo
30 6.3
to give up
∞ 1.2

Surface Forms

abnegate infinitive
abnegated past
abnegated past participle
abnegating present participle
abnegates third person singular

Morphology

abnegate = negate (semi-transparent) = ab + negate

Formally analyzable as 'ab-' + 'negate', but the prefix 'ab-' and the precise sense ('deny oneself' vs 'deny/make ineffective') are somewhat specialized and may not be fully transparent to learners.

Etymology

Abnegate comes from the Latin parts ab- 'away' and negare 'to say no'. Think of it as pushing a want away from yourself, like when you deny yourself a treat. That's why to abnegate means to give up or refuse a desire or habit.