Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

abstemious

/æbˈsti.mi.əs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.74 in modern English

Syllables
abs-te-mi-ous
IPA
/æbˈsti.mi.əs/
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions.

adj

Marked by, or spent in, abstinence.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin abstēmius (“abstaining from wine”); from ab, abs (“from”) + tēmus, a root of tēmētum (“intoxicating drink, especially strong mead or wine”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark (referring to the colour of wine)”)) + -ous.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /æbˈsti.mi.əs/
  • British English: /æbˈstiː.mɪ.əs/

Inflected Forms

more abstemious (comparative) most abstemious (superlative)

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce abstemious?
The recorded pronunciation is /æbˈsti.mi.əs/.
What does abstemious mean?
Refraining from freely consuming food or strong drink; sparing in diet; abstinent, temperate.
Where does abstemious come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce abstemious

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “abstemious”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/æbˈsti.mi.əs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “abstemious”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “abstemious” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.