rigor

noun

rig·or | \ ˈri-gər

Definition of rigor

1a(1) : harsh inflexibility in opinion, temper, or judgment : severity The least one might observe is that this muddle of moralism and laxity, extreme rigor and casual permissiveness, arduous altruism and nonchalant selfishness, has consequences.— Peter Berkowitz

(2) : the quality of being unyielding or inflexible : strictness Their abandonment of this terminology is part of an effort to soften the rigor of some of the rigid consequences thought to flow from the mechanical application of this dichotomy.— John D. Calamari and Joseph M. Perillo

(3) : severity of life : austerity … a moral rigor and growth that might help this country.— Stanley Kauffmann

b : an act or instance of strictness, severity, or cruelty … the humanist must recognize the normality, the practical necessity of the very rigors he is trying to soften and correct.— Hermann J. Muller

2 : a tremor caused by a chill This young woman presented at the hospital with severe abdominal pain and signs of infection, including fever, rigor, and leukocytosis.— Robert E. Scully et al.

3 : a condition that makes life difficult, challenging, or uncomfortable especially : extremity of cold the rigors of a New England winter

4 : strict precision : exactness logical rigor Tentatively one might suggest that what characterizes science is the rigor of its methodology …— Ernst Mayr

5a obsolete : rigidity, stiffness

b : rigidness or torpor of organs or tissue that prevents response to stimuli

c : rigor mortis A fish has its best flavor and texture when cooked while just coming out of rigor.— Jane Daniels Lear

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about rigor

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Examples of rigor in a Sentence

They underwent the rigors of military training. the rigors of life in the wilderness They conducted the experiments with scientific rigor. a scholar known for her intellectual rigor

Recent Examples on the Web

Following an embarrassing string of losses on appeals of merger cases in the previous decade, the commission in 2004 improved its economic analysis of deals and increased the rigor of its arguments, say former competition officials and lawyers. — Daniel Michaels, WSJ, "Google Faces Uphill Battle in Appealing EU Android Fine," 19 July 2018 EdVestors has worked with the school system on several initiatives, such as expanding the arts, increasing the rigor of middle-school math, and providing more opportunities for career and technical education programs. — James Vaznis, BostonGlobe.com, "Interim schools chief ready to make ‘important moves’," 29 June 2018 This version of Claire Foy partly reflects the rigors of rapid and recent change. — Nathan Heller, Vogue, "Claire Foy on Becoming a Mother and Trading Her Crown for a Dragon Tattoo," 10 Oct. 2018 That’s unlike the computing hardware already present on the ISS, which has been stringently designed to withstand the rigors of spaceflight. — Mary Beth Griggs, The Verge, "A supercomputer on the ISS will soon be open for science experiments," 1 Nov. 2018 Most parents, babysitters, even grandparents have wanted to escape the rigors of childcare at one point. — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, "The Big Bang Theory Season 12, Episode 7 Recap: Bernadette Hides From Her Kids," 1 Nov. 2018 The premise is that Track Mode readies the car for performance driving heroics, remapping the stability control and thermal management systems for the rigors of racetrack duty. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "Electric Slide: We Drove the Tesla Model 3 in the Snow to See How It Fares as a Rally Car," 21 Feb. 2019 The queen's daughter, Princess Anne, who would have been happy to be married on horseback in the countryside, submitted to the TV rigors of Westminster Abbey for her 1973 wedding in the cold, dark depths of a national recession. — Patt Morrison, latimes.com, "After centuries of practice, Britain's royals figure out how to turn a wedding into a global watch party," 17 May 2018 Those questions, posed with such skill and rigor by Rubin’s story and Trumbull film, have only become more urgent. — Eleanor Hildebrandt, Popular Mechanics, "The True Story of the Lost Sci-Fi Movie "Brainstorm," Natalie Wood’s Last Film," 21 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rigor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.