English Explanatory Dictionary

austere

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Grim or severe in manner or appearance.
  2. Lacking decoration; trivial; not extravagant or gaudy.
  3. Adhering to the economic policy of austerity.
  4. Harsh; astringent.

Pronunciation

/ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)/ /ɔːˈstɪə(ɹ)/ /ɔˈstiɹ/ ôstēr′ /ɑˈstiɹ/ en-us-austere.ogg

Word forms

austere austerer more austere austerest most austere

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αὐστηρός (austērós, “bitter, harsh, astringent”), having the specific meaning “making the tongue dry” (originally used of fruits, wines), related to αὔω (aúō, “to singe”), αὖος (aûos, “dry”).

Synonyms

stern strict forbidding ascetic brutal callous cold cold-eyed cruel dour flint-hearted frosty grim hard hard-boiled hardened hardhearted heartless harsh humorless icy iron-hearted insensate insensitive marble-hearted rigorous rockhearted severe stonehearted stony stonyhearted tough unsympathetic unmoved simple plain unadorned unembellished austere bare chaste inornate modest quiet spartan unextravagant unornamented undecked ungarnished untrimmed unvarnished

Antonyms

overwrought flamboyant extravagant gaudy flashy bedizened blatant blingish brash campy catchpenny chichi chintzy corny crass crude flaunting florid flossy froufrou garish gauche gay glaring gross gussied up hideous kitsch kitschy loud meretricious naff obtrusive ostentatious pizazzy pretentious ritzy raffish schlocky showy snazzy splendiferous tacky tasteless tawdry tinselly too much trinkety unbecoming untasteful vain whorish zesty

Derived words

austerely austereness austerity unaustere
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