Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ABSTEMIOUS
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pronounce
ABSTEMIOUS:
Say it "ab STEE me yus."
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connect this word to others:
Abstemious means "restrictive: not allowing yourself too much fancy food or too many boozy drinks."
So you might look at that word and guess, very reasonably, that it's based on the verb abstain (meaning "to not allow yourself to have something, like fancy food or boozy drinks").
But the similarity is a coincidence. Etymologically speaking, to abstain is to hold yourself away from things--any things--while to be abstemious is to hold yourself away from strong drinks.
Could you recall the adjective for people who abstain? It's absti____.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The word "abstemious" has Latin bits that literally mean "away from strong drinks."
Dating back to 1603, we've used "abstemious" in English to mean "not indulgent: not allowing yourself to indulge in too much food or too many drinks, especially alcoholic ones."
In other words, abstemious people and things are simple, moderate, restrained, and not indulgent.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Adjective: "an abstemious diet;" "His diet is abstemious."
Other forms:
Abstemiously, abstemiousness.
how to use it:
"Abstemious" is a formal, scholarly, semi-common word.
It's a bit of a mouthful, with all those consonants and that very Latin look. So if you're choosing it instead of something simpler (like "sober," "frugal," "moderate," or "temperate"), it's probably because you want to emphasize, exaggerate, or even ridicule just how sparing and self-restraining something is.
You might talk about an abstemious person, personality, lifestyle, diet, or style of speaking or writing. You might even refer to music or art as abstemious, if it seems stripped down to its simplest elements.
examples:
"Two glasses of wine is not an alcohol issue. By British standards you are an abstemious man."
— Piers Morgan, as quoted by Decca Aitkenhead, The Guardian, 17 January 2011
"The advice to omit needless words should not be confused with the puritanical edict that all writers must pare every sentence down to the shortest, leanest, most abstemious version possible."
— Steven Pinker, The Sense of Style, 2014
has this page helped you understand "abstemious"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "abstemious" without saying "moderate" or "full of self-restraint."
try it out:
In her article "Confessions of a part-time vegan," Mary Elizabeth Williams wrote:
"To have a black bean chili with warm bread and olive oil, followed by a scoop of gelato, isn't to me to suffer through some abstemious, vegan repast. It's to enjoy a really lovely meal."
Would you agree? Or would you find that meal abstemious? What, to you, is an abstemious meal?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for this month is Obits Tidbits!
Check out a tidbit from the obituary of an extraordinary person, and see if you can name who it was. To see the answer, scroll all the way down.
From the Washington Post: "[He] couldn't help making a joke: A Zambian boasts about his country's minister for naval affairs to a South African, who points out disparagingly that landlocked Zambia has no navy. The Zambian replies, 'Well, in South Africa you have a minister of justice, don't you?'"
If you need some hints, highlight the hidden white text below.
This obituary was published on… December 26th, 2021
This person's initials are… D. T.
review this word:
A. WARY and CAUTIOUS.
B. SCHOLARLY and PEDANTIC.
C. DECADENT and HEDONISTIC.
2.
Jimmy Carter is often described as our most abstemious former president, with CNBC reporting that he "_____."
A. has written and published 33 books
B. lives in a $167,000 house and shops at the Dollar General
C. still requires a bevy of armored Secret Service vehicles 24/7/365
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
On vocabulary...
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.
From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Abstemious means "restrictive: not allowing yourself too much fancy food or too many boozy drinks."
The word "abstemious" has Latin bits that literally mean "away from strong drinks."
Part of speech:
"Abstemious" is a formal, scholarly, semi-common word.
"Two glasses of wine is not an alcohol issue. By British standards you are an abstemious man."
Explain the meaning of "abstemious" without saying "moderate" or "full of self-restraint."
In her article "Confessions of a part-time vegan," Mary Elizabeth Williams wrote:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |