1
as in strict
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint
an austere conductor who is as tough on himself as he is on the orchestra
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2
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
an austere fortress at the top of some formidable cliffs
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3
as in spartan
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
for the private office of the CEO of the large corporation, the room is unexpectedly austere
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of austere
Most of the jails are austere, even by the grim standards of detention centers.
—
Jack Herrera, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2025
Lloyd’s worlds are shiny brutalist black boxes, at once austere and conspicuously expensive, and Van Hove’s are if anything even more severe.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025
Originally attributed to Pieter Pourbus, a Flemish Renaissance artist who worked in Bruges during the 16th century, the painting depicts an austere man and his young daughter in matching ruffs.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
The film makes more than a token effort to explore the material and psychological realities of life under fascist rule, and the transformation of a charming agrarian utopia into an austere military dictatorship.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Jack Herrera, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2025
Lloyd’s worlds are shiny brutalist black boxes, at once austere and conspicuously expensive, and Van Hove’s are if anything even more severe.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025
Originally attributed to Pieter Pourbus, a Flemish Renaissance artist who worked in Bruges during the 16th century, the painting depicts an austere man and his young daughter in matching ruffs.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
The film makes more than a token effort to explore the material and psychological realities of life under fascist rule, and the transformation of a charming agrarian utopia into an austere military dictatorship.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austere
Adjective
-
Augusta National Golf Club, where the tournament takes place each April, has a strict no cell phone and cameras rule during the four days of official competition.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
18 Apr. 2025
-
So Read, a 56-year-old sexologist and writer based in Calgary, Canada, developed a strict sleep and bedtime routine.—
Erica Sweeney,
SELF,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Bowling paints with the rhythm of a gruff intellectual.—
James Russell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2025
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The actor behind the gruff but lovable Roy Kent shared a purrfectly eccentric analogy about the show's return on a recent episode of NPR's Wild Card podcast.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Vietnamese refugees who got a warm welcome from America puzzle at family separations, harsh rhetoric In Vietnam, Lam had owned three companies.—
Anh Do,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
So, designing the model's apparent personality to be positive and supportive makes sense—people are less likely to use an AI that comes off as harsh or dismissive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
His grim work handling dead sheep gives the movie its title, but little time is actually spent at Stan’s job.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Set in a grim, unnamed American city, Havoc follows a bruised detective, played by Hardy, who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son, all while unraveling the deep layers of corruption.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The simplest way, Studholme suggests, is to use one group of neutrals or a tone on tone graduation of the same color, such as Pigeon, Blue Gray, Muzzle and Cromarty from Farrow & Ball, for example.—
Ariel Okin,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
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Asked who’d buy these gold cards during an Oval Office meeting with reporters in February, Trump had a simple answer.—
Meehika Barua,
HubSpot,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Employees have a tough time trusting a leader whose actions do not follow their words.—
Mona Andrews,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
There’s symbolism there—all that tough, hard-to-crack shell hiding a shining pearl—that lends itself well to a tattoo.—
Leah Prinzivalli,
Allure,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Raid 2, for instance, a two and a half hour crime and punishment epic, boils down to one man’s struggle to win the approval of his stern father; whether this is significant to Evans’ life or not, the motif nonetheless transitions cleanly into Havoc.—
Andy Crump,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
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The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has issued a stern warning about a predatory fish that can grow up to 3 feet long, slither across land and breathe air.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Falcons then made their deal with the Rams to select Tennessee outside linebacker James Pearce Jr. For the Rams, the mood at the end of the night was a stark contrast to last year.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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The Oilers have a lot to improve on after the Game 2 blowout, including their special teams after giving up five power-play goals over the first two games — a stark contrast to last year’s Stanley Cup Final run.—
Sarah Jean Maher,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Austere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austere. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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