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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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
This austere throwback is fated to be forever known as the movie in which its star accidentally fired a gun with a live round and fatally wounded a crew member.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025
The walls of these rooms accomplish a kind of muting of her aura, a place where veneration feels austere or regimented by bureaucracy.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Here, austere elegance defines luxury—no TVs in rooms, no gym, not even a swimming pool.
—Ryan Craggs, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2025
All were displayed in an austere room designed for examining art works—an oddly formal space for an encounter with one’s past.
—Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025
The walls of these rooms accomplish a kind of muting of her aura, a place where veneration feels austere or regimented by bureaucracy.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Here, austere elegance defines luxury—no TVs in rooms, no gym, not even a swimming pool.
—Ryan Craggs, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2025
All were displayed in an austere room designed for examining art works—an oddly formal space for an encounter with one’s past.
—Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austere
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austere
Adjective
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By pinpointing high-privilege users and monitoring data-sharing behaviors, Reco assists CISOs in implementing stricter access controls.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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Until May 24, stars attending premieres and other events sprinkled throughout the festival grounds will have to follow the organization's notoriously strict outfit guidelines, which appear to have only gotten tighter.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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The rest of the film takes place in a prison, where Henry’s gruff but philosophical cellmate, Gene (Shia LaBeouf), tries to teach him the ways of the world.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2025
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Fimmel digs into the more stereotypical gruff bounty hunter with relish, though the character itself is a western staple.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
This garment gets exposed to harsher conditions than most clothing.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 May 2025
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More precipitation in these locations could make up for the harsh cold season.—
Jordan-Marie Smith,
NPR,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
His face is grim, lacking the exuberance and devil-may-care attitude visible in earlier paintings.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 May 2025
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The headlines may be grim, but history is generous to those who stay invested.—
John Buckingham,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Style them with a simple tank for a casual day out, or add a blazer and ballet flats for a more polished airport look.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2025
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While rectal cancers can be detected with a simple MRI scan, other cancer types are more difficult.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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But his sharpness increased as the tournament progressed, especially in the semi-final against his toughest opponent on paper, Stephen Nedoroscik.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
-
Dodging tough questions without seeming a bit evasive.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
And Hannah Waddingham gives a good, stern space-lady as the voice of the Galactic Grand Councilwoman.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
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In Kurosawa’s version, the chauffeur was an exceedingly meek man who got down on the floor to beg his stern shoe-manufacturer boss, played by the great Toshiro Mifune, to save his son.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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However, the starkest drop—from 2.6 percent to 1.3 percent—occurred between 1987 to 2014, with the figure only beginning to increase in 2019.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
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That's in stark contrast to another recent big-budget, mainstream strategy game release (Civilization VII), which offered robust onboarding tutorials but also had a user interface that at times failed completely to indicate to players what their choices meant.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Austere.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austere. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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