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austere

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.04 sec.
aus·tere  (ô-stîr)
adj. aus·ter·er, aus·ter·est
1. Severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and grave: the austere figure of a Puritan minister.
2. Strict or severe in discipline; ascetic: a desert nomad's austere life.
3. Having no adornment or ornamentation; bare: an austere style. See Synonyms at severe.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin austrus, from Greek austros.]

aus·terely adv.
aus·tereness n.

austere
Adjective
1. stern or severe: his austere and serious attitude to events
2. self-disciplined or ascetic: an extraordinarily austere and puritanical organization
3. severely simple or plain: the austere backdrop of grey [Greek austēros astringent]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.austere - severely simple; "a stark interior"
plain - not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building"
2.austere - of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect; "an austere expression"; "a stern face"
nonindulgent, strict - characterized by strictness, severity, or restraint
3.austere - practicing great self-denial; "Be systematically ascetic...do...something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it"- William James; "a desert nomad's austere life"; "a spartan diet"; "a spartan existence"
abstemious - sparing in consumption of especially food and drink; "the pleasures of the table, never of much consequence to one naturally abstemious"- John Galsworthy

austere
Translations
Spanish austere [ɔsˈtɪəʳ] adjaustero; [manner] → adusto
French austere [ɔsˈtɪəʳ] adjaustère
German austere [ɔsˈtɪəʳ] adjstreng;
(room, decoration) → schmucklos;
(person, lifestyle) → asketisch

Italian austere [ɔsˈtɪəʳ] adjaustero/a

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"It is very true," said the Poodle, with austere dignity, "that I am small; but, sir, I beg to observe that I am all dog.
For days his voice will not be heard raised about the decks, with that curt, austere accent of the man in charge, till, again, when the hatches are on, and in a silent and expectant ship, he shall speak up from aft in commanding tones: "Man the windlass
You must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the empire of Rome, and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept.
 
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