Dictionary
aus•tere
Pronunciation: (ô-stēr'), [key]—
adj.
1. severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict; forbidding:
an austere teacher.
2. rigorously self-disciplined and severely moral; ascetic; abstinent:
the austere quality of life in the convent.
3. grave; sober; solemn; serious:
an austere manner.
4. without excess, luxury, or ease; simple; limited; severe:
an austere life.
5. severely simple; without ornament:
austere writing.
6. lacking softness; hard:
an austere bed of straw.
7. rough to the taste; sour or harsh in flavor.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.