austere
Stripped of comfort
Austere describes something severely simple, stripped of comfort or ornament.
An austere room has bare walls and minimal furniture.
An austere person is strict, self-disciplined, and unindulgent—perhaps forbiddingly so.
Austere measures or budgets involve harsh restrictions: The company adopted austere cost-cutting policies.
The word carries connotations of both admirable discipline and cold severity.
Unpleasantly severe or rough
- sternStrict or ship's aft
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
inflexible · grim · draconian · punitive · exacting · stringent · authoritarian · unforgiving
Extremely thorough and careful
- self-controlAbility to restrain impulses
- restraintControl over impulses
- stoicUncomplaining endurer of hardship
- asceticOne who renounces indulgence
temperance · abstinence · willpower · strictness · conscientious · diligent · meticulous · sobriety
Basic and unremarkable
- bareLacking any covering
- unembellishedWithout decorative additions
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
- starkSevere and unadorned
unornamented · stripped · unvarnished · unpretentious · homely · basic · utilitarian · understated
Bleak and abandoned
- barrenUnable to produce
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- inhospitableUnwelcoming, harsh to visitors
- forbiddingIntimidatingly stern or hostile
stark · severe · windswept · craggy · rugged · treeless · exposed · cold
Thinly scattered or distributed
- pared-downSimplified by removal
- streamlinedMade smooth and efficient
- sleekSmooth and elegant
- unclutteredFree from disorder
functional · essential · refined · simplify · declutter · reductive · restrained · economical
Prudent with resources
- economicalUsing resources sparingly
- sparingUsing resources minimally
- parsimoniousExcessively unwilling to spend
- budget-consciousAware of spending limits
provident · chary · measured · careful · penny-pinching · scrimping · frugality · lean
harsh
Unpleasantly severe or rough
- sternStrict or ship's aft
- strictRigorous, without flexibility
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
unyielding · inflexible · grim · draconian · punitive · exacting · stringent · authoritarian · unforgiving · rigid
rigorous
Extremely thorough and careful
- self-controlAbility to restrain impulses
- restraintControl over impulses
- stoicUncomplaining endurer of hardship
ascetic · temperance · abstinence · willpower · strictness · conscientious · diligent · meticulous · sobriety · moderation
plain
Basic and unremarkable
- bareLacking any covering
- unembellishedWithout decorative additions
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
stark · unornamented · stripped · unvarnished · unpretentious · homely · basic · utilitarian · understated · simple
desolate
Bleak and abandoned
- barrenUnable to produce
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- inhospitableUnwelcoming, harsh to visitors
forbidding · stark · severe · windswept · craggy · rugged · treeless · exposed · cold · wintry
sparse
Thinly scattered or distributed
- pared-downSimplified by removal
- streamlinedMade smooth and efficient
- sleekSmooth and elegant
uncluttered · functional · essential · refined · simplify · declutter · reductive · restrained · economical · curated
thrifty
Prudent with resources
- economicalUsing resources sparingly
- sparingUsing resources minimally
- parsimoniousExcessively unwilling to spend
budget-conscious · provident · chary · measured · careful · penny-pinching · scrimping · frugality · lean · tight-fisted
- art adjectivesbold, bright, colorful, dark, delicate
- design qualitieselegance, proportion, balance, texture, color
- no-frillsno-frills, bare-bones, basic, plain, simple
- SAT vocabularyaesthetic, ambiguous, benevolent, candid, concise
- seriousness descriptorsserious, grave, solemn, somber, stern
- modern interiorsopen plan, open concept, loft, minimalist decor, natural light
austereornate
Elaborately decorated
elaborate · embellished · baroque · fancy · ornamental
- austerity measuresPolicies reducing government spending
- fiscal austerityReduced government expenditure policy
- austerity policiesReduced public spending programs