monkish

adjective

Definition of monkishnext
as in ascetic

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of monkish And also there is something a little bit, the word that comes to mind is almost monkish. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 9 Jan. 2026 Integral, too, to Dayal’s mythology was his monkish existence. — Literary Hub, 29 Oct. 2025 The festival would know that better than most, juxtaposing classical music—and its expectation of monkish silence—with the heart of Chicago’s downtown, and the human mix therein. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025 Obama has retreated into monkish silence, broken only for special occasions such as celebrity deaths and the recording of Bruce Springsteen podcasts. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 17 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for monkish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monkish
  1. ascetic
  2. monastic
  3. austere
  4. authoritarian
  5. strict
  6. stern
Adjective
  • And there were posters tearing apart his otherworldly self-projection as a fakir, or ascetic, depicting him in his monogrammed suits, designer sunglasses, and aircraft.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Then, over the following years, came sustainability and strict reuse and ascetic renunciation, and today, finally, its photo series and articles advocated for a mild, slightly quirky anticapitalist metaphysics.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Definition of ascetic
Adjective
  • Not all retreats are monastic, and seclusion can easily nourish a hothouse of gossip.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The monastic Wiesler eventually comes to believe Dreyman is harmless and in the process doubts the very foundations of autocracy itself.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 27 July 2026
Definition of monastic
Adjective
  • The conventional view holds that the main architects of European integration were the Frenchmen Jean Monnet, a mild-mannered, mustachioed Cognac merchant and banker, and Robert Schuman, an austere, devoutly Catholic statesman from Lorraine.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The 19-foot statues, called The Arts of War, were once easy to miss but now look a bit like oversized children’s trophies, especially next to the classical and austere Lincoln Memorial.
    — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of austere
Adjective
  • Reliable polling remains scarce under the country’s authoritarian system.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 30 July 2026
  • And both men, despite misgivings among parts of their own populations about their corrupt and authoritarian tendencies, were largely welcomed in the West as reformers and promising economic partners.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Adjective
  • Beijing's core motivation is maintaining strict capital controls; a freely transferable yuan token would undermine this.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The company said that its advanced production lines operate at 95% automation, using thousands of checkpoints to guarantee strict quality control.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of strict
Adjective
  • The Indian government last month issued a stern warning to Instagram to remove child abuse ads on its platform that followed a warning to WhatsApp over the rollout of a username feature.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • According to Jane, Burke was generally a caring and attentive friend, but also stern.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of stern

Browse Nearby Words

monkhoods
monkish
monks
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Cite this Entry

“Monkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monkish. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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