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
The shooter was an austere religious scholar.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Property tax rates are flat in the budget, which now includes far fewer cuts than the more austere spending plan Levine Cava first proposed in July.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
The flavor of French Syrahs is more austere and peppery than that of Australian Syrahs, which are more powerful and alcoholic.
—Elisabetta Tosi, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
From friendly therapy dogs at IGA Istanbul Airport to meditation spaces and sensory rooms inspired by water at Newark’s renovated Terminal A, flora and fauna have made their way into the once-austere atmosphere.
—Cemile Kavountzis, Travel + Leisure, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Property tax rates are flat in the budget, which now includes far fewer cuts than the more austere spending plan Levine Cava first proposed in July.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
The flavor of French Syrahs is more austere and peppery than that of Australian Syrahs, which are more powerful and alcoholic.
—Elisabetta Tosi, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
From friendly therapy dogs at IGA Istanbul Airport to meditation spaces and sensory rooms inspired by water at Newark’s renovated Terminal A, flora and fauna have made their way into the once-austere atmosphere.
—Cemile Kavountzis, Travel + Leisure, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austere
Adjective
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Cinema sometimes has to know how to give in to a cause, but another thing entirely is to impoverish cinema by attributing to documentary cinema a mere and strict role of denunciation.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
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The group’s operating profit jumped 40 percent in the third quarter, chalked up to an improved customer offering, strict cost controls and better gross margins, against a smaller store footprint and relatively flat sales growth.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 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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Roku then picked up the rights for a spartan $10 million—about a third of what Peacock shelled out in each year of its contract.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
24 Sep. 2025
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The Long Walk uses the rawness of its spartan premise to venture deep into uncomfortable territory, culminating in an ending that blurs the lines between perseverance and defeat, hope and nihilism.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The National Nuclear Security Administration funds the sensors, which undergo rigorous shock, vibration, thermal vacuum, and prompt X-ray testing to survive launch and the harsh space environment.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
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Additionally, try not to use any harsh cleaners or a really abrasive solution that may damage the surface.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Molina, a window dresser imprisoned for public indecency, escapes the grim reality of their confinement by retelling the plot of a glamorous Hollywood musical featuring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez).—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
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This one revealed fresh cause for concern, and a much more grim prognosis.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Don’t pull over in the roundabout Roundabouts with a single lane of traffic in each direction are fairly simple – yield to traffic in the roundabout, wait for a gap in traffic and go through, Bryson said.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
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This can be as simple as bodyweight movements, resistance bands or dumbbells, focusing on compound/functional movements like squats, pushes and pulls.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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An editor approached me with a tough assignment of tasting, evaluating and reviewing a chicken Caesar wrap.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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The news that Aleksander Barkov will all but assuredly miss all of the 2025-26 season after undergoing surgery on Friday to repair the ACL and MCL in right knee was tough for the Florida Panthers to hear.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That led Judge Cannon to temporarily halt the proceedings and issue Routh a stern warning.—
Greg Allen,
NPR,
23 Sep. 2025
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High-profile stars and politicians of all creeds have been up in arms and ABC owner Disney has come in for particularly stern criticism over the very live situation.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Austere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austere. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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