Austere Meaning
/ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjGrim or severe in manner or appearance.
adjLacking decoration; trivial; not extravagant or gaudy.
Sentence Examples
Ms. Eichler had a notorious reputation for being austere to her students.
Austere economic policies have significantly affected economic performance.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The monk's ____ lifestyle included only a wooden bed and a single bowl.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The cell in the old monastery was very ____, with only a small bed.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Even the austere philosopher Immanuel Kant of Koenigsberg, it is said, whose habits were so regular that the citizens of that town set their watches by him, postponed the hour of his afternoon stroll when he received the news [of the fall of the Bastille], thus convincing Koenigsberg that a world-shaking event had indeed happened."
— 1962, Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Revolution, page 61:
"So we come, at above street level, into the city, and to Canterbury East Station (9.8 miles). It is an austere, rather barn-like structure, with a high roof over the two platforms."
— 1958 October 26, Rev. A. W. V. Mace, “From Faversham to Dover—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 670:
"Counterintuitively, in an effort to be austere and save money, cities which only remove a crossing every couple of years manage to be way less efficient at it than Melbourne has been."
— 2024 December 14, Reece Martin, “Learning from Melbourne’s Level Crossing Removal Project” (9:05 from the start), in RMTransit:
"It is like a small plum, nearly globular in shape, black covered with a bluish bloom, and with a very austere taste."
— 1862, Charles Pierpoint Johnson, The Useful Plants of Great Britain, page 85:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The monk's ____ lifestyle included only a wooden bed and a single bowl.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The cell in the old monastery was very ____, with only a small bed.