Austere / adjective / aus·​tere

Austere is an adjective we use in the English language with a multi-faceted definition. In the first sense, we use "austere" as an adjective to describe people we see as "serious" or ‘stern' in appearance or demeanor. The word "austere" can also be descriptive of clothing we see as simple or basic and lacking any adornments. We also use the term "austere" regarding wine flavoring that shows a dominant flavoring and a positive capacity for aging.

In a Sentence

The old woman stood with an "austere" look on her face that showed disapproval.

The famous wine steward said that the wine had an "austere" quality and highly recommended the brand.

We consider people who wear plain fashions with no patterns or as austere dressers.

Etymology

We first see the use of the word "austere" around the early 14th century as a derivative of the 13th century French term "austere" and the Latin term "austerus." The original definition of austere was descriptive of "strict, severe, harsh, or cruel." The word carries a similar meaning as its original definition, and we recently expanded its definition for use in wine terminology.

Synonym

Authoritarian, Hard

Antonym

Gentle, Tolerant