What Hebrew term names the five Yom Kippur self-denials?

The Hebrew term for the five Yom Kippur self-denials is inuyim, meaning “afflictions” or “acts of self-denial.”

The term comes from the biblical command to “afflict your souls” on Yom Kippur. Rabbinic tradition interprets that broad command through five principal restrictions: no eating or drinking, bathing for pleasure, anointing with oils or lotions, wearing leather footwear, and sexual relations.

These rules are not five unrelated customs. Together, they temporarily set aside ordinary physical comforts so that the day can focus on repentance, prayer, and atonement. The Hebrew singular is inuy; inuyim is its plural. The spelling can vary in English transliteration, but “Inuyim” is the standard quiz answer here.

A frequent mix-up is confusing inuyim with selichot, penitential prayers, or piyyutim, liturgical poems. Inuyim names the restrictions themselves, not the prayers. Another nuance is that Jewish law treats fasting as especially serious, and health takes priority: someone for whom fasting is dangerous is required to eat or drink as medically necessary.