self-abnegatory en · ADJ
Etymology
From self- + abnegatory.
Meanings
-
Of or relating to self-abnegation (the denial or invalidation of one's own needs, interests, etc. for the sake of another's).
In his present self-abnegatory mood, he will not acknowledge himself able to feel anything honest and noble.
1978, Aidan Chambers, Breaktime, London: Red Fox, published 1995, page 66:Women are so terrifically self-abnegatory; they must give, give, give, to some one all the time. Women, that is, of the mothering type, such as these.
1921, Rose Macaulay, chapter 4, in Dangerous Ages, London: W. Collins Sons, page 76:one for whom that purple mantle was too gaudy, and yet who bore it, as he bore everything else, in that self-abnegatory spirit which the higher reaches of philosophy bring
1892, Edgar Saltus, chapter 8, in Imperial Purple, Chicago: Morrill, Higgins, page 193:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most self-abnegatory | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more self-abnegatory | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Hypernyms
Relateds
Synonyms
self-denying · selfless · self-abnegatory · self-sacrificing · otherish · unselfish · self-sacrificing · self-flagellatory · abstemious