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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Due to his austere and detached manner, he is known to immediately inspire awe in his patients.
—
Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
In addition to showcasing the Arctic’s raw, austere beauty and wildlife encounters such as sightings of polar bears, walruses, wolves, giant musk ox, narwhal, and snowy owls, the voyage shines a spotlight on the Indigenous people who have stewarded the region’s unusual ecosystems for 5,000 years.
—Robin Catalano, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
That character is Mike Tyler (Chris Evans), a Hollywood star recovering from a recent nervous breakdown and attending a garish eco-friendly charity party for the super-super-rich that’s being held in a fantastically austere Greek mine.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2025
The shooter was an austere religious scholar.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
In addition to showcasing the Arctic’s raw, austere beauty and wildlife encounters such as sightings of polar bears, walruses, wolves, giant musk ox, narwhal, and snowy owls, the voyage shines a spotlight on the Indigenous people who have stewarded the region’s unusual ecosystems for 5,000 years.
—Robin Catalano, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
That character is Mike Tyler (Chris Evans), a Hollywood star recovering from a recent nervous breakdown and attending a garish eco-friendly charity party for the super-super-rich that’s being held in a fantastically austere Greek mine.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2025
The shooter was an austere religious scholar.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austere
Adjective
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Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.—
Rob Williams,
EverydayHealth.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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Article 3 Section 5 of the Tennessee Constitution places strict limitations on the regular circumstances under which a governor can deploy guard troops.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This pays off to some extent because Day-Lewis is such a mesmerizing presence, Ray’s gruff manner and terse communications hinting at dark mysteries to be revealed.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With ski season only a few weeks away, the Vail Pass rest area reopened to the public on Tuesday with a bigger, better building that replaced a spartan structure built in 1980.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
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That day, a small television in my spartan hotel lobby showed the second tower of the World Trade Center collapse.—
Dr. Tom Frieden,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The triumphant narrative began to fray when exceedingly harsh lockdown measures could no longer contain the spread of the virus, and the staggering human cost in the name of protecting lives defied all logic.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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There are no easy fixes, so figuring out how to cushion the harsh impact will be the basis of negotiations with other parties in the Japanese legislature, the Diet.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike the grim feeling around schools like Florida, everyone here desperately wants Venables to be the right guy.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Jill Biden, meanwhile, is portrayed as a grim figure.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Jared Jewelers Bulova Phantom Watch A watch is both practical and fashionable, and this style adds a touch of sparkle to simple outfits.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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Each year, as the temperature rises, the town’s regular population of around 300 swells with thousands of kids soaking up the simple pleasures of the great outdoors.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Marc Skinner’s side will face far sterner challenges.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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However, getting first-team reps has come with a stern warning.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Austere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austere. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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