austere

[AUSTERE]

英 [ɒ'stɪə(r)] 美 [ɔː'stɪr]

adj.简朴的；严厉的；苦行的；紧缩的

◉词源

“Austere”源自拉丁语“austērus”，意为“严厉、朴素”，由希腊语“austēros”（干燥、严苛）衍生。14世纪进入英语，最初指“严厉、严格”，后扩展为“简朴、朴素”或“冷峻”，常用于描述生活、性格或环境。

◉外刊例句

·《The Guardian》 (2025年8月15日)

His austere lifestyle surprised many.

他的简朴生活方式令许多人惊讶。

·《The New York Times》 (2024年12月10日)

The room’s austere design felt cold.

房间的朴素设计显得冷峻。

◉经典名著

·《简·爱》（Jane Eyre） by Charlotte Brontë (1847)

Her austere manner intimidated him.

她严厉的态度使他畏惧。

·《瓦尔登湖》（Walden） by Henry David Thoreau (1854)

He chose an austere life in the woods.

他选择了林中简朴的生活。

◉Usage Examples

(1) The room was furnished in austere style.

(2) Father was an austere man, very strict with his children.

(3) Monks are leading simple, austere lives.

(4) Many people are in favor of the government's austere economic policies.

(1) 这间屋子陈设得简单朴素。

(2) 父亲是个严厉的人,对子女十分严格。

(3) 僧侣们过着清苦的生活。

(4) 很多民众支持政府的经济紧缩政策。

◉Usage Notes

The adjective austere is used to describe something or someone stern or without any decoration. You wouldn't want someone to describe you or your home as austere.

Austere is not usually a positive word because it means that a person or a thing isn't pleasurable. For example, if you go on an austere diet, it's likely you wouldn't ever get to have candy. The adjective comes into English by way of French, Latin, and Greek, meaning "harsh" and "dry." It's pronounced as "ah-STEER," with an emphasis on the second syllable.

◉柯林斯词典

1. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]简朴的；朴素的 If you describe something as austere, you approve of its plain and simple appearance. [approval]

...a cream linen suit and austere black blouse...

乳白色亚麻套装和简朴的黑色衬衫

The church was austere and simple.

教堂的布置很简朴。

2. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]（人）严厉的，严肃的，严格的 If you describe someone as austere, you disapprove of them because they are strict and serious. [disapproval]

I found her a rather austere, distant, somewhat cold person.

我发现她相当严厉，拒人于千里之外，近乎冷漠。

...an extraordinarily austere and puritanical organization.

有着非常严厉的清规戒律的组织

3. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]（生活）简朴的，不奢华的，苦行的 An austere way of life is one that is simple and without luxuries.

The life of the troops was still comparatively austere.

军队的生活还是相对清苦的

4. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]（经济政策）紧缩的 An austere economic policy is one which reduces people's living standards sharply.

...a set of very austere economic measures to control inflation.

一套大力控制通货膨胀的紧缩性经济措施