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
Inside, there’s an austere bedstead, ladder-back chairs, a cast-iron stove, and a wooden pegboard running along the walls—all sourced from a village near Albany.
—
Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
When the scene began, there was something austere about Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan’s performance.
—Harry Connick Jr, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2025
The through line in all this is an austere aesthetic of unembarrassed domination that is also somehow insecure in its flashiness.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, Kim's traditionally austere all-white display always draws mixed reactions on social media.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
When the scene began, there was something austere about Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan’s performance.
—Harry Connick Jr, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2025
The through line in all this is an austere aesthetic of unembarrassed domination that is also somehow insecure in its flashiness.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, Kim's traditionally austere all-white display always draws mixed reactions on social media.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austere
Adjective
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Capping those rates could backfire, resulting in significantly stricter lending standards and making credit unavailable to lower-income people or those with lower credit scores.—
Luciana Lopez,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Per his release, the rapper must follow strict guidelines for the next five years, such as no alcohol, drug testing, and federal supervision when opening bank accounts.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Approved by The Boss himself, the live-music and storytelling show finds Azaria slipping into his best Springsteen guise for a night of gruff tales and greatest hits.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
24 Dec. 2025
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The gory skit ends with the gruff older man rushing through the door to announce he’s made amends with his son, only to have his head sliced off by the flying chainsaw.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Made the short walk back down the hill, sat in the spartan dorm room that was my home for the next nine months.—
Sarah Chamberlain,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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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
Adjective
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There's a lot of harsh words and harsh things that get said about people.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Applying it at the base of the plant before the first frost can protect the roots from harsh cold and keep the soil from freezing.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Another violent image now joins the grim archive that has made Minnesota an unwilling stage for national trauma for years running.—
Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
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Continue reading … PUT ON NOTICE – Trump discusses expansion of drug cartel crackdown, issues grim warning to Iran.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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According to Bruce Blair, a former Air Force launch officer and nuclear policy expert, between 1962 and the mid-1970s the most powerful digits on the globe were simple – eight zeros.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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That something as simple as a COVID vaccine might improve survival in cancer patients receiving standard immunotherapy has taken oncologists by surprise — in a good way.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This loss had to be especially tough for the Jayhawks, considering a controversial holding call on KU changed the momentum of the game.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
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However, their record at the Etihad makes for tough reading.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Several French and Italian citizens were among the dead, and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for stern punishment to be meted out to those responsible for the blaze.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
9 Jan. 2026
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Continue reading … FLIP-FLOP – Reporter claims Harris privately joked about question before stern response.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Austere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austere. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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