abnegation
Giving something up
Abnegation is the act of renouncing or rejecting something, especially one's own interests or desires.
The word carries a sense of deliberate self-denial, often for moral or religious reasons: a life of abnegation and service to others.
It suggests giving something up completely rather than merely limiting it.
Formal surrender of claim
- monasticismCloistered religious living
- self-mortificationVoluntary bodily punishment for penance
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- fastingDeliberate food avoidance
celibacy · monk · nun · hermit · anchorite · piety · contemplation · solitude
Formal refusal to accept
- disavowalRejection of connection
- renunciationFormal surrender of claim
- refusalAct of declining
- denialRefusal to accept reality
disclaimer · abjuration · forswearing · recantation · retraction · disowning
Ability to restrain impulses
- temperanceHabitual moderation in behavior
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
- moderationAvoidance of excess
- self-disciplineRegulating one's own behavior
forbearance · continence · sobriety · self-restraint · willpower · teetotalism · frugality · nonindulgence
Prioritizing others over oneself
- martyrdomSuffering for conviction
- self-sacrificeSurrendering for others' benefit
- altruismPrioritizing others' wellbeing
- heroismExceptional courage under duress
surrender · submission · yielding · forgoing · relinquishment · devotion · service · unselfishness
Sustained effort capacity
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
- equanimityUnshakable mental steadiness
- acceptanceConsent to receive
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
resilience · composure · imperturbability · serenity · dispassion · nonattachment · ataraxia
Downplaying one's importance
- modestyAbsence of vanity
- meeknessGentle, unassertive disposition
- humblenessState of being unpretentious
- unpretentiousnessAbsence of showiness
deference · lowliness · submissiveness · unassumingness · demureness
renunciation
Formal surrender of claim
- monasticismCloistered religious living
- self-mortificationVoluntary bodily punishment for penance
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
fasting · celibacy · monk · nun · hermit · anchorite · piety · contemplation · solitude · simplicity
repudiation
Formal refusal to accept
- disavowalRejection of connection
- renunciationFormal surrender of claim
- refusalAct of declining
denial · disclaimer · abjuration · forswearing · recantation · retraction · disowning
self-control
Ability to restrain impulses
- temperanceHabitual moderation in behavior
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
- moderationAvoidance of excess
self-discipline · forbearance · continence · sobriety · self-restraint · willpower · teetotalism · frugality · nonindulgence · self-deprivation
selflessness
Prioritizing others over oneself
- martyrdomSuffering for conviction
- self-sacrificeSurrendering for others' benefit
- altruismPrioritizing others' wellbeing
heroism · surrender · submission · yielding · forgoing · relinquishment · devotion · service · unselfishness · offering
endurance
Sustained effort capacity
- fortitudeEnduring courage under pain
- equanimityUnshakable mental steadiness
- acceptanceConsent to receive
detachment · resilience · composure · imperturbability · serenity · dispassion · nonattachment · ataraxia
self-effacement
Downplaying one's importance
- modestyAbsence of vanity
- meeknessGentle, unassertive disposition
- humblenessState of being unpretentious
unpretentiousness · deference · lowliness · submissiveness · unassumingness · demureness
- asceticismabstinence, celibacy, ascetic, austerities, chastity
- sacrificeburnt offering, blood sacrifice, human sacrifice, animal sacrifice, immolation
- denialsnot guilty, disclaimer, disavowal, rejection, refusal
- giving upgive up, giving up, quit, quitting, surrender
- rejectionrejection, reject, denial, refuse, refusal
abnegationself-indulgence
Excessive yielding to desires
indulgence · hedonism · self-gratification · excess · intemperance
abnegationassertion
Confident statement of fact
affirmation · declaration · claim · avowal · statement
abnegationselfishness
Excessive concern for oneself
self-interest · egoism · egotism · self-centeredness · self-seeking