as in hardships
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
hard-bitten folk who survived many rigors on the way to the promised land
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Recent Examples of rigors
That’s building to withstand the rigors of an NFL season and also preparing for a future in which the quarterback is no longer on a rookie deal and the front line must be cheaper — but not without some incubation time in one of the league’s best offensive line development programs.
—
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
Despite being a spindly 180 pounds, he has not been worn down by the rigors of the Big 10 or the NCAA tournament, having scored in double figures in every game since the calendar turned to 2026.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Bass in the pre-spawn period often feed voraciously to put on weight for their reproductive rigors.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
Davison has a natural tenor singing voice eerily similar to a young Jon Anderson, fronted the Yes tribute band Roundabout, and was more than ready for the rigors of the road after playing in the groups Glass Hammer and Sky Cries Mary.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2026
One flirts and drinks and dallies and dances; the other is part child, part monk, his mantel packed with icons and crucifixes, his inner landscape a kind of mental Sagrada Família — a weird and extraordinary edifice constructed around the rigors and promises of Christianity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Generations of Huskies alumni still bemoan the rigors Auriemma put them through in college and complain that the famously tough head coach has gone soft with age.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Get Jensen more plate appearances and prepare him for the rigors of a full season and then some.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
After weeks, then months of legal conflict and nonstop media coverage, all while navigating classes and the rigors of a Division I volleyball season, Slusser fell ill.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
Despite being a spindly 180 pounds, he has not been worn down by the rigors of the Big 10 or the NCAA tournament, having scored in double figures in every game since the calendar turned to 2026.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Bass in the pre-spawn period often feed voraciously to put on weight for their reproductive rigors.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
Davison has a natural tenor singing voice eerily similar to a young Jon Anderson, fronted the Yes tribute band Roundabout, and was more than ready for the rigors of the road after playing in the groups Glass Hammer and Sky Cries Mary.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2026
One flirts and drinks and dallies and dances; the other is part child, part monk, his mantel packed with icons and crucifixes, his inner landscape a kind of mental Sagrada Família — a weird and extraordinary edifice constructed around the rigors and promises of Christianity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Generations of Huskies alumni still bemoan the rigors Auriemma put them through in college and complain that the famously tough head coach has gone soft with age.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Get Jensen more plate appearances and prepare him for the rigors of a full season and then some.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
After weeks, then months of legal conflict and nonstop media coverage, all while navigating classes and the rigors of a Division I volleyball season, Slusser fell ill.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigors
Noun
-
After joining the Dodgers, Robinson faced several hardships.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2026
-
This project did indeed start small – a single gray tote placed in the downtown lobby of Family Counseling Service, where staff members could donate toys for the kids of families struggling with everyday hardships.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But across the years, as the space plane has missed one major technical deadline after another—often because of difficulties with its heat shield—the dream has faded.—
Tom Metcalfe,
Scientific American,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Christians there frequently face difficulties.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rigors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigors. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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