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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Both are ruggedly handsome, gruff and not short on ego.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 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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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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Never use bleach to clean the toilet tank as this harsh chemical can damage the tank's interior and lead to faster corrosion.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
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Except, much like the prison scenes, Kiss of the Spider Woman‘s reality ends up being much harsher than the fantasy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 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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Strufe adds that while intelligence agencies or cybercriminals have simpler ways to monitor people – such as accessing CCTV cameras or video doorbells – the widespread presence of wireless networks could eventually form a near-comprehensive surveillance infrastructure.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
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The simplest way to find influential people in a network is called degree centrality—just count the number of connections for each person.—
Jack Murtagh,
Scientific American,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The end result of a tough negotiation that included a nearly two-week blackout of Disney channels on Charter in 2023 was a much closer working relationship between the two.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
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Just a week after giving birth, Menish took her six-hour Evidence exam from home in December 2023 — one of the toughest finals in the curriculum.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 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 16 Oct. 2025.
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