1
as in sacrifice
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
They moved off the grid to live a life of austerity.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruffness
the quality or state of being stern and serious in manner or appearance
His air of austerity tends to put others off.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in misery
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
His family spent years living in austerity during the recession.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of austerity
And so the film, for all its gore and austerity, ceases to be anything but another rote war drama, with predictable arcs that bend toward heroism.
—
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
But to many observers, this fetishization of austerity has contributed to decades of underinvestment in domestic infrastructure − from roads, to schools, to public buildings, to broader public services − failures which the AfD has been eager to exploit.
—Mark I. Vail, The Conversation, 16 May 2025
The Medicaid program appears to be a very likely target of budget austerity measures, to help partially pay for an extension of the tax cuts enacted during President Trump’s first term in office.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
To upgrade its army and kick-start its economy, Berlin is ending its long addiction to austerity, lifting a constitutional constraint that since 2009 has limited annual debt spending to a mere 0.35 percent of gross domestic product.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
But to many observers, this fetishization of austerity has contributed to decades of underinvestment in domestic infrastructure − from roads, to schools, to public buildings, to broader public services − failures which the AfD has been eager to exploit.
—Mark I. Vail, The Conversation, 16 May 2025
The Medicaid program appears to be a very likely target of budget austerity measures, to help partially pay for an extension of the tax cuts enacted during President Trump’s first term in office.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
To upgrade its army and kick-start its economy, Berlin is ending its long addiction to austerity, lifting a constitutional constraint that since 2009 has limited annual debt spending to a mere 0.35 percent of gross domestic product.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austerity
Noun
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God intervened at the moment of sacrifice and sent a ram to be sacrificed instead.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2025
-
Readers of my deals stories will know that the sacrifice for these freebies is historically poor trade-in valuations compared to U.S. pricing.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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In the studio, a bad idea can be put out of its misery within a few minutes.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
30 May 2025
-
The Athletic reflects on their 2024-25 efforts, culminating in a 14th-place finish, that caused more misery than joy.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
Such defensive discipline and intelligent street-smarts have meant that Inzaghi’s side have trailed for just 16 minutes across the whole Champions League campaign — just one per cent of their total time on the pitch.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Bring Her Back is still a messy endeavor, even with what feels like a newfound discipline, not to mention a superior grasp of pacing and catch-release tension, happening behind the camera.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Departments & Columns The Week The Week NR Editors Tariffs will either inaugurate a new era of asceticism or opulence.—
Daniel Foster,
National Review,
15 May 2025
-
Upon his election, Bergoglio took the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, who was known for his asceticism and ministry to the poor.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But the boys also casually tell stories about the deprivations of their previous life, a reminder of how unusual their childhoods have been by American standards.—
Sacha Pfeiffer,
NPR,
27 May 2025
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The problem with plastic is the deprivation of oxygen to the roots since there is no air circulating into the sides of the basket.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
Still, progressive proponents of the ERA demanded that some legal loophole must exist to circumvent those restraints.—
Sarah Bedford,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2025
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Intense hostility all around means that for now, neither Russia nor China is even willing to sit down to discuss nuclear restraints, in treaty form or otherwise.—
Matthew Bunn,
The Conversation,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Nearly 90% of natural gas processing, fractionation, and storage is concentrated in four regions in the U.S., each subject to various environmental hazards that will incur greater complications and costs as climate change exacerbates natural disasters’ frequency and severity.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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Try supplements: Certain supplements, such as Riboflavin and CoQ10, can help reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.—
Verywell Health,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The studios won $62.4 million in damages, eventually reduced to a $9.9 million settlement after VidAngel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
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Lopez insisted that had to be done through the federal bankruptcy court and a trustee.—
Tovia Smith,
NPR,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Austerity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austerity. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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