austere

See also austère

English

Etymology

From Old French austere, from Latin austērus (“dry, harsh, sour, tart”), from Ancient Greek αὐστηρός (austēros, “bitter, harsh”), having the specific meaning "making the tongue dry" (originally used of fruits, wines), related to αὔω (auō, “to singe”), αὖος (auos, “dry”).

Pronunciation

• (RP): IPA: /ɒstɪə(ɹ)/ or IPA: /ɔːstɪə(ɹ)/
• (US): IPA: /ɔˈstiəɹ/
• (cot–caught merger, northern cities vowel shift): IPA: /ɑˈstiəɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(r)

Adjective

austere (comparative austerer or more austere, superlative austerest or most austere)

1. Grim or severe in manner or appearance

   The headmistress was an austere old woman.

2. Lacking trivial decoration; not extravagant or gaudy

   The interior of the church was as austere as the parishioners were dour.

Synonyms

• (grim or severe): stern, strict, forbidding
• (lacking trivial decoration): simple, plain, unadorned, unembellished

Antonyms

• (not lacking trivial decoration): overwrought, flamboyant, extravagant, gaudy, flashy

Derived terms

• austerity
• austerely

Translations

grim, stern, strict

• Bulgarian: строг (bg) (stróg) , суров (bg) (suróv) 
• Dutch: streng (nl), droog (nl)
• Italian: austero (it) m
• Portuguese: (Brazil) severo (pt)

• Romanian: auster (ro) m and n
• Russian: строгий (ru) (strógij) , суровый (ru) (suróvyj) 
• Spanish: severo (es)

not extravagant

• Bulgarian: прост (bg) (prost) , аскетичен (bg) (asketíčen) 
• Dutch: sober (nl), karig (nl)
• German: schlicht (de)

• Italian: austero (it) m
• Russian: простой (ru) (prostój) , аскетичный (ru) (asketíčnyj) 
• Spanish: austero (es)

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Italian

Adjective

austere f pl

1. feminine plural form of austero

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Latin

Adjective

austēre

1. vocative masculine singular of austērus