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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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.
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of austerity
The state should not respond with austerity that drives more educators out.
—
Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Paz’s termination of a popular but fiscally unsustainable fuel subsidy and other austerity measures triggered strikes earlier this month, which escalated into a coordinated effort from the Bolivian Workers’ Central, peasant unions, and miners to paralyze the country.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
The government succeeded in reversing the fiscal deficit and achieving a budget surplus — a rare result in Argentina’s recent history — but the social cost of the austerity measures has drawn criticism.
—Clara Preve, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Butterss’ double-bass throbs ground the music in chamber-jazz austerity; later, Bellerose shifts into slack, funky drummer mode, as Parker’s guitar takes on a muted highlife gait, then morphs into concentric ripples of distortion that psychedelicize your mind.
—Dave Segal, SPIN, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Paz’s termination of a popular but fiscally unsustainable fuel subsidy and other austerity measures triggered strikes earlier this month, which escalated into a coordinated effort from the Bolivian Workers’ Central, peasant unions, and miners to paralyze the country.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 May 2026
The government succeeded in reversing the fiscal deficit and achieving a budget surplus — a rare result in Argentina’s recent history — but the social cost of the austerity measures has drawn criticism.
—Clara Preve, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Butterss’ double-bass throbs ground the music in chamber-jazz austerity; later, Bellerose shifts into slack, funky drummer mode, as Parker’s guitar takes on a muted highlife gait, then morphs into concentric ripples of distortion that psychedelicize your mind.
—Dave Segal, SPIN, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austerity
Noun
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Data shows 41% of single women buyers made financial sacrifices to save enough to buy a house, including cutting back on non-essential goods, entertainment and even taking on second jobs.—
Kathy Collins,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
By Sebastian Smee The meanings of words such as honor, sacrifice, and humility have been leaking away from American civic life like red blood cells from an anemic.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
But then Popper smiled and the arrival of opening day momentarily mellowed his gruffness.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Mackay and Turner are both excellent, two movie stars who seem totally game to be asked to move with real gruffness.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The world may have looked grim in what was also a penultimate week before elections, when the focus becomes necessarily not on joy but misery, the political premise being the winning candidate is the one who makes the electorate the angriest.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
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Plus, to your other point, any contender is one injury away from misery, as the Warriors have shown with Stephen Curry in recent years or the Pacers showed with Tyrese Halliburton this season (while accepting the Celtics as an outlier).—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Historically, the difference has come down to political discipline, institutional credibility, and the absence of an external shock.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
Women’s sports were not created because women lacked talent, discipline or courage.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Following several years of contemplation and asceticism, Dorje hopes to return to the United States to teach in Minnesota's Buddhist community at the Nyingmapa Taksham Buddhist Center.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
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Within pashmina throws and Ladakh yak-wool woven rugs, sold in the shop, soften the near-monastic asceticism of the décor and effects of the crepuscular lighting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Consistent short sleep, however, has been linked to measurable declines in cognitive performance and day-to-day functioning, while chronic sleep deprivation is associated with more serious long-term health risks.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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Consumers no longer see moderation as deprivation.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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No official casualty figures were immediately available from the violence that prompted calls for restraint from the United Nations and the United States as the government and opposition traded blame for the violence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
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However, the negotiations have allowed Trump to say that relations with China are in good shape and that both countries have exercised restraint.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Allegedly, Buckingham Palace leaned on the press to downplay the severity of the king’s illness last year, which paints a picture of a monarch who’s much sicker than people want to believe.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 June 2026
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The severity of the victim's injuries was not yet known.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Austerity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austerity. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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