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austere

adjective
aus·​tere | \ ȯ-ˈstir also -ˈster How to pronounce austere (audio) \

Definition of austere

1a : stern and cold in appearance or manner an austere Puritan
b : somber, grave an austere critic
2 : morally strict : ascetic
3 : markedly simple or unadorned an austere office an austere style of writing
4 : giving little or no scope for pleasure austere diets
5 of a wine : having the flavor of acid or tannin predominant over fruit flavors usually indicating a capacity for aging
Other Words from austere Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about austere

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Other Words from austere

austerely adverb
austereness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for austere

severe, stern, austere, ascetic mean given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint. severe implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness. severe military discipline stern stresses inflexibility and inexorability of temper or character. stern arbiters of public morality austere stresses absence of warmth, color, or feeling and may apply to rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial. living an austere life in the country ascetic implies abstention from pleasure and comfort or self-indulgence as spiritual discipline. the ascetic life of the monks

Examples of austere in a Sentence

This is a national conceit that is the comprehensible result of the religious beliefs of the early New England colonists (Calvinist religious dissenters, moved by millenarian expectations and theocratic ideas), which convinced them that their austere settlements in the wilderness represented a new start in humanity's story. — William Pfaff, New York Review, 15 Feb. 2007 For many of us with no firsthand familiarity with Greece, it's easy to forget that its celebrated ruins are a distortion and that we behold its ancient culture in its bare-bones lineaments. The austere white buildings of the Acropolis were once painted and parti-colored structures. — Brad Leithauser, New York Times Book Review, 26 Mar. 2006 I cut off my long dark hair, put on the habit (and it was quite becoming, in an austere sort of way), wrapped a big rosary around my waist, threw the cloak over my shoulders and set out. — Albert E. Cowdrey, Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 2005 Certain kinds of landscapes—volatile ocean environments, sculpturally seductive alpine peaks, austere polar regions—became infused with what philosopher Edmund Burke called "a sort of delightful horror." — James Balog, American Photo, May/June 2004 They choose austere furnishings for the office. He was known for his austere style of writing. They lived an austere life in the country.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Lave Tete,’’ 2001, an austere sculpture depicting a black woman bent double, washing her hair in a way that evokes ritual cleansing of the head performed in Haitian Vodou initiation ceremonies. — Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "An urgent look at 400 years of history: ‘Black Atlantic’ exhibit in Oberlin explores impact of slavery," 25 Aug. 2019 The space is austere and solemn, with beige walls and icy climate control. — David Maurice Smith, Smithsonian, "A 42,000-Year-Old Man Finally Goes Home," 23 Aug. 2019 That tension is just as affecting as the undeniable beauty that fills the room; the space is austere, almost empty, and brimming with richness all at once. — Murray Whyte, BostonGlobe.com, "‘The Forty Part Motet’ strikes a perfect note at the Clark Art Institute," 15 Aug. 2019 Standing in front of an austere white church on a foggy morning, wearing a thrifted housecoat, looking straight ahead with a worried look on her face. — Eryn Loeb, Longreads, "When Friendship Fades But the Images Linger," 9 Aug. 2019 Lang’s music, too, is austere but shot through with vivid color, massing the whole orchestra in dark ferocious outbreaks or thinning it down to singing strings behind the voices. — Washington Post, "Reexamining opera, one classic at a time," 14 June 2019 Rivkin writes, swirls of dark jade and white, with occasional flashes of blue, are lush, and yet, in their nearly monochrome palette, austere. — Andrew Martin, Harper's magazine, "Not Mere Projection," 10 Mar. 2019 But that's not all: The late Leonard Cohen is the austere focal point of Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love, which documents a memorable '60s-era affair between Cohen and his Norwegian muse, Marianne Ihlen. — Michael Granberry, Dallas News, "Boomer madness: Summer of '69 casts a nostalgic haze over summer 2019 movies," 26 July 2019 Her father was a well-to-do merchant but ran an austere household, toughening up his seven children with meager diets and few comforts. — Kate Siber, Outside Online, "Meet the World's First Solo Female Travel Writer," 24 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'austere.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of austere

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for austere

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin austerus, from Greek austēros harsh, severe; akin to Greek hauos dry — more at sere

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More Definitions for austere

austere

adjective
How to pronounce austere (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of austere

: simple or plain : not fancy
of a person : having a serious and unfriendly quality
: having few pleasures : simple and harsh

See the full definition for austere in the English Language Learners Dictionary

austere

adjective
aus·​tere | \ ȯ-ˈstir How to pronounce austere (audio) \

Kids Definition of austere

1 : seeming or acting serious and unfriendly an austere family
2 : plain entry 1 sense 1 an aus

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