austere

See also: austère and austerē

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)/, /ɔːˈstɪə(ɹ)/
• (US)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ɔˈstiɹ/, enPR: ôstēr′
  • (cot–caught merger, Inland Northern American) IPA^(key): /ɑˈstiɹ/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

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 decoration; trivial; 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

• (antonym(s) of “not lacking trivial decoration”): overwrought, flamboyant, extravagant, gaudy, flashy

Derived terms

• austerely
• austereness
• austerity
• unaustere

 

Translations

grim, stern, strict

• Bulgarian: строг (bg) (strog), суро́в (bg) (suróv)
• Czech: strohý (cs) m
• Dutch: streng (nl), droog (nl)
• Finnish: ankara (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient: αὐστηρός (austērós)

• Hungarian: szigorú (hu)
• Italian: austero (it) m
• Latin: austērus
• Plautdietsch: ieeboa
• Portuguese: (Brazil) severo (pt), austero (pt)
• Romanian: auster (ro) m or n
• Russian: стро́гий (ru) (strógij), суро́вый (ru) (suróvyj)
• Spanish: severo (es)

not extravagant

• Bulgarian: прост (bg) (prost), аскети́чен (bg) (asketíčen)
• Czech: uměřený m, strohý (cs)
• Dutch: sober (nl), karig (nl)
• Finnish: koruton (fi), karu (fi)
• French: austère (fr)
• German: schlicht (de), genügsam (de)
• Hungarian: egyszerű (hu)
• Italian: austero (it) m
• Maori: more, māmore
• Portuguese: austero (pt)
• Russian: просто́й (ru) (prostój), аскети́чный (ru) (asketíčnyj)
• Spanish: austero (es)

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /awˈstɛ.re/
• Rhymes: -ɛre
• Hyphenation: au‧stè‧re

Adjective

austere

1. feminine plural of austero

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /au̯sˈteː.re/, [äu̯s̠ˈt̪eːrɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /au̯sˈte.re/, [äu̯sˈt̪ɛːre]

Adjective

austēre

1. vocative masculine singular of austērus

References

• “austere”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “austere”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

Latvian

Austere

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Perhaps related to Ancient Greek ὄστρεον (óstreon).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

austere f (5th declension)

1. oyster (certain edible bivalve mollusks of the order Ostreida)

   austeru zveja ― oyster fishing

   rīt austeres ― to swallow oysters

   austeru lasītāji un lasītājas tur brida kailām kājām ― male and female oyster collectors were wading there (= in shallow water) barefoot

Declension

Declension of austere (5th declension)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	austere	austeres
accusative (akuzatīvs)	austeri	austeres
genitive (ģenitīvs)	austeres	austeru
dative (datīvs)	austerei	austerēm
instrumental (instrumentālis)	austeri	austerēm
locative (lokatīvs)	austerē	austerēs
vocative (vokatīvs)	austere	austeres

Middle French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin austērus.

Adjective

austere m or f (plural austeres)

1. austere; severe

Old French

Alternative forms

• haustere
• auster (masculine only)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin austērus.

Adjective

austere m (oblique and nominative feminine singular austere)

1. (of a flavor) acrid; bitter
2. austere; severe