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Synonym Chooser

How is the word rigorous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of rigorous are rigid, strict, and stringent. While all these words mean "extremely severe or stern," rigorous implies the imposition of hardship and difficulty.

the rigorous training of recruits

When can rigid be used instead of rigorous?

While in some cases nearly identical to rigorous, rigid implies uncompromising inflexibility.

rigid rules of conduct

When would strict be a good substitute for rigorous?

Although the words strict and rigorous have much in common, strict emphasizes undeviating conformity to rules, standards, or requirements.

strict enforcement of the law

When might stringent be a better fit than rigorous?

The synonyms stringent and rigorous are sometimes interchangeable, but stringent suggests severe, tight restriction or limitation.

stringent standards of admission

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rigorous Was approved using outdated standards: Diphenhydramine was approved nearly 80 years ago, before the FDA required rigorous safety trials. Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Aug. 2025 The school will also feature the rigorous Cambridge program, affiliated with Cambridge University, as well as programs in culinary, robotics, aeronautics and arts. Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2025 Applicants for Global Entry undergo rigorous and recurring screening by U.S. authorities, including an in-person interview with a CBP officer before initial enrollment. Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2025 Together, this campus will complement Vanderbilt’s operations in Nashville and serve as a powerful model that blends rigorous academics with real-world impact, directly connecting with our city’s emerging and thriving business sectors. Erik Bottcher, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rigorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigorous
Adjective
  • The widespread destruction triggered stricter building codes across the state.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
  • In addition to broadening Opinel's appeal in jurisdictions with strict regulations on locking knives, the Opiflex mechanism is designed to streamline blade opening and closing for fast, intuitive knife use.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Beyond complying with regulations, embedding traceability and life cycle data directly into products can enable leaders in the tech industry to drive smarter product development, more accurate forecasting and stronger supply chain and inventory management.
    Megan Brewster, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • How accurate are the Old Farmer's Almanac's predictions?
    Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The board had balked at insurance lobbyists and fire officials’ demand for stringent protections while the governor’s office worried about the cost to homeowners, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg Green in a public records request.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Plans sold in the ACA’s online insurance marketplaces have no stringent quality standards.
    Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This deep understanding of local transportation patterns would have been difficult with rapid multi-city expansion.
    Tima Bansal, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • But even though scientists have been able to discover thousands of planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system in recent years, including some around Proxima Centauri, which is fairly a dim star, it's been difficult to go planet-hunting around Alpha Centauri A and B, which orbit each other.
    Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Even if increasing competition and financial obstruction have influenced summer recruitment, making this season’s challenges tougher, the confidence in Unai Emery and Villa’s football department remains unerring.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Unlike Trump, they aren’t charmed by the Kremlin’s tough guy.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Intelligence Gathering: Israeli operatives identified the bedrooms in which Iranian nuclear scientists were sleeping, enabling precise airstrikes.
    Yossi Melman, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Creating specific traffic scenarios in a multi-lane track setting requires precise choreography across other vehicles and even mock pedestrians.
    Richard Bishop, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Taking the most challenging courses available — like AP, IB, honors, or dual enrollment classes — signals preparedness for college-level work.
    Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Getting the Supreme Court to take this case at all is going to be extremely challenging.
    Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The former Calle 13 member impresses her sensitivity to this piece, originally written by Orlando Brito and popularized in 1975 by the great Héctor Lavoe, giving it new life with her powerful, dramatic voice, accompanied by street guitars and harsh, aggressive chords that captivate the listener.
    Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 15 Aug. 2025
  • While the comparison of slave babies being taken from their mommas, and immigrant children being separated from their parents might seem a bit harsh to some, the pain is the same.
    Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rigorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigorous. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

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