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
In fact, the device is built to withstand humidity, wind, temperature variations and the rigors of frequent transport.
—
New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
Unaware of her status as a princess, Huntley puts Victoria through the rigors of a Montana ranch experience.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
Spence doesn't look like the same fighter after his car accident and the rigors of his career.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
That's a natural enough feeling for any new parent still adjusting to the rigors of their new life.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Steve Finley, a 41-year-old center fielder, handled the rigors of the position but not major-league velocity.
—Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic, 12 Dec. 2024
To capitalize on this penchant for place-hopping, the Shady Rays brand centers on products that can stand the rigors of outdoor exploration.
—Jeff Fromm, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Stier—Getty Images Clark was also adjusting to the rigors of the WNBA.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
In a paper published on 3 January in Science Advances, researchers from Purdue University, in Indiana, have created a new prototype of electroluminescent thread that can glow blue, green, and yellow while maintaining its shape, even under the rigors of machine embroidery.
—Sarah Wells, IEEE Spectrum, 18 Jan. 2024
New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2025
Unaware of her status as a princess, Huntley puts Victoria through the rigors of a Montana ranch experience.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
Spence doesn't look like the same fighter after his car accident and the rigors of his career.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
That's a natural enough feeling for any new parent still adjusting to the rigors of their new life.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Steve Finley, a 41-year-old center fielder, handled the rigors of the position but not major-league velocity.
—Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic, 12 Dec. 2024
To capitalize on this penchant for place-hopping, the Shady Rays brand centers on products that can stand the rigors of outdoor exploration.
—Jeff Fromm, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Stier—Getty Images Clark was also adjusting to the rigors of the WNBA.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
In a paper published on 3 January in Science Advances, researchers from Purdue University, in Indiana, have created a new prototype of electroluminescent thread that can glow blue, green, and yellow while maintaining its shape, even under the rigors of machine embroidery.
—Sarah Wells, IEEE Spectrum, 18 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigors
Noun
-
What began as frustration with daily hardships quickly grew into demands for political change and systemic reform.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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But Russia’s strategic position, China’s global priorities and Venezuela’s hardships all make that unlikely right now.—
Joseph J. Gonzalez,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Common reasons to grant extensions include if the resident is applying for FEMA funds, facing difficulties finding a contractor or working through an insurance claim.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Maybe so—and a coming wave of insider stories attesting to Weiss’s difficulties in asserting her authority strikes me as the most inevitable outcome of this affair.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rigors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigors. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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