austere

Meanings

• adjective

  Simple, plain, and without unnecessary luxury or frills.

  - "The monastery's austere environment helped the monks focus on their spiritual practices."
  - "The austere living conditions of the early settlers contributed to their survival."

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Pronunciation

1. /ɔˈstiɹ/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2650670"

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Antonyms

extravagant , flamboyant , flashy , gaudy , overwrought

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Synonyms

forbidding , stern , strict , plain , simple , unadorned , unembellished

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with austere
cure , lure , perure , pure

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Variants

List of all variants of austere that leads to same result
austere , austerely , austereness , austerenesses , austerer , austerest

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Latin austerus, meaning 'severe, stern' or 'painful, harsh'.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The term 'austere' is also used in astronomy to describe stars that have a high surface temperature and emit a large amount of ultraviolet radiation.

2. The Austrian Alps are known for their austere beauty and challenging terrain.

3. The word 'austere' is often used in the context of financial or economic hardship, as in 'austerity measures'.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. asceticism: Austere living practices or disciplines, often for religious or spiritual reasons.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. 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,{it}New York Review{/it},15 Feb. 2007

2. 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,{it}Fantasy & Science Fiction{/it},March 2005

3. 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,{it}American Photo{/it},May/June 2004

4. 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,{it}New York Times Book Review{/it},26 Mar. 2006

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature and art, the term 'austere' is often used to describe works or settings that are simple, unadorned, and serious. Austere art is characterized by its lack of ornamentation or decoration, and its focus on essential forms and lines.

How to Memorize "austere"

1. visualize
   

   - Visualize a simple, plain, and unadorned environment to help remember the meaning of 'austere'.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'austere' with the idea of simplicity and lack of frills.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Use the mnemonic 'Simple and plain, like an austere plane' to help remember the meaning of 'austere'.

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