austerest
Most severely plain
Austerest is the superlative form of austere—the most severe, unadorned, or ascetically simple: the austerest conditions imaginable, the austerest of the monastery's cells.
The form is uncommon; most austere appears more frequently in contemporary usage.
Basic and unremarkable
- simpleFree of complexity
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
- minimalistOne favoring bare essentials
- unembellishedWithout decorative additions
undecorated · unpretentious · basic · stark · functional · modest · barebones · utilitarian
Rigorous, without flexibility
- severeExtremely harsh or strict
- rigidUnable to bend
- inflexibleUnable to bend
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
unyielding · firm · grave · sober · somber · serious · dour · staid
Savagely harsh or severe
- unforgivingShowing no leniency
- inclementUnpleasantly harsh weather
- mercilessShowing no clemency
- ruthlessLacking any compassion
relentless · inhospitable · bleak · punitive · draconian · pitiless · forbidding · unsparing
Cloistered religious devotee
- hermitPerson choosing total seclusion
- renunciationFormal surrender of claim
- self-denialRestraining one's own desires
- fastingDeliberate food avoidance
abstinence · celibacy · piety · chastity · temperance · contemplation · meditation · devotion
plain
Basic and unremarkable
- simpleFree of complexity
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
- minimalistOne favoring bare essentials
unembellished · undecorated · unpretentious · basic · stark · functional · modest · barebones · utilitarian · stripped
strict
Rigorous, without flexibility
- severeExtremely harsh or strict
- rigidUnable to bend
- inflexibleUnable to bend
uncompromising · unyielding · firm · grave · sober · somber · serious · dour · staid · imposing
brutal
Savagely harsh or severe
- unforgivingShowing no leniency
- inclementUnpleasantly harsh weather
- mercilessShowing no clemency
ruthless · relentless · inhospitable · bleak · punitive · draconian · pitiless · forbidding · unsparing · barren
monk
Cloistered religious devotee
- hermitPerson choosing total seclusion
- renunciationFormal surrender of claim
- self-denialRestraining one's own desires
fasting · abstinence · celibacy · piety · chastity · temperance · contemplation · meditation · devotion · holiness