YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

abstemious

Adjective

IPA /əbˈstiːmiəs/

Understand it. Say it. Use it.

UNDERSTAND THE WORD

Meaning in plain English

Choosing to have only modest amounts of food or alcohol.

SAY IT ALOUD

Pronunciation

abstemious/əbˈstiːmiəs/

PICTURE THE IDEA

See the meaning

Compare

A guest has one small drink
They politely decline another
They choose restraint

An abstemious person limits how much they eat or drink.

SEE IT IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH

Examples in context

Read the examples aloud. Notice how the word fits the sentence, then think of a situation of your own.

Her abstemious habits meant that she usually declined a second glass of wine.
The biographer described the scientist as abstemious in his personal life.

MAKE IT STICK

Quick word quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the word?

Complete the example using the word from this lesson.

Her ________ habits meant that she usually declined a second glass of wine.

Show the answer

abstemious — Choosing to have only modest amounts of food or alcohol.

Try your own sentence (optional)

Make it yours

Write one sentence using “abstemious” about your own life.

Your sentence (optional)

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

Choosing to have only modest amounts of food or alcohol.

Compare: Her abstemious habits meant that she usually declined a second glass of wine.

Check the spelling and how the word fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.

This quiz is for practice. To save lesson completion on this device, complete the checks in the app.

Word origin

From Latin abstemius, referring to abstaining from strong drink, with the English ending -ous.

Did you know?

Abstemious habits describes restraint in consumption; it does not necessarily mean complete abstinence.

Explore related words

Open a word’s lesson when available, or explore entries that use the related term.

Make the word your own

Say the word aloud and read an example sentence.
Write a new sentence about something familiar to you.
Cover the meaning and try explaining the word in your own words.

Continue with the app’s practice check, then try a sentence of your own to mark this word complete.

Practise this word in the app

Completion and saved words stay in this browser on this device.