abstemious
AdjectiveSynonyms:
light
Open English WordNet
Adjective (2)
- sparing in consumption of especially food and drink“the pleasures of the table, never of much consequence to one naturally abstemious — John Galsworthy”Opposite gluttonousSimilar ascetic, abstinentRelates to abstemiousnessSee also nonindulgent, strict
- marked by temperance in indulgence“abstemious with the use of adverbs”“a light eater”“a light smoker”“ate a light supper”Synonyms: lightOpposite intemperateSimilar temperate
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Ab·ste′mi·ous (…), adjective
Origin: L. abstemius; ab, abs + root of temetum intoxicating drink.
1. Abstaining from wine. Orig. Latin sense.
Under his special eye Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain.— John Milton
2. Sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks; temperate; abstinent; sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions.
Instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious.— John Arbuthnot
3. Sparingly used; used with temperance or moderation; as, an abstemious diet. Edward Gibbon
4. Marked by, or spent in, abstinence; as, an abstemious life. “One abstemious day.” Alexander Pope
5. Promotive of abstemiousness. rare
Such is the virtue of the abstemious well.— John Dryden
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54