austere

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. adj. Severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and grave: the austere figure of a Puritan minister.
2. adj. Strict or severe in discipline; ascetic: a desert nomad's austere life. See Synonyms at severe.
3. adj. Having no adornment or ornamentation; bare: an austere style.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Sour; harsh; rough to the taste: applied to things: as, austere fruit or wine; “sloes austere,”
2. Severe; harsh; rigid; rigorous; stern: applied to persons and things: as, an austere master; an austere look.
3. Grave; sober; serious: as, austere deportment.
4. Severely simple; unadorned. Synonyms Austere, Severe, Stern, Hard, Harsh, Strict, Rigorous, Rigid, stiff, uncompromising, relentless, may characterize a person's dealings with himself or with others. Austere is the most individual word in the list; it still suggests the etymological sense of dryness and hardness of nature. As applied to manner of life, it implies self-mortification, refusal of pleasure, or the self-infliction of pain, for the purpose of self-discipline. The austere man may treat others as he treats himself; an austere manner is of a corresponding sort. There is no suggestion of hypocrisy or self-righteousness in the word, nor does it go so far as asceticism (see self-denial). Severe starts from the notion of seriousness or freedom from levity, but extends through a wide range, covering most of the meanings of the other words. Stern, while primarily meaning fixed in facial expression, applies to almost anything to which severe can apply. Hard is of the same character, but starts from the notion of physical hardness, proceeding thence to mean difficult to endure, unfeeling, etc. Harsh primarily expresses physical roughness, as a harsh touch, and retains some figurative suggestion akin to that idea. Strict is drawn close, tense, not relaxed, observing exact rules for one's self or requiring such observance from others. Rigorous means, literally, stiff, and hence allowing no abatement or mitigation; inflexible; unsparing. Rigid is the same as rigorous, but with somewhat more of the original figurativeness than in rigorous; both are opposed to lax or indulgent. Rigid is more often used of unnecessary, overwrought, or narrow-minded strictness than rigorous. We speak of austere morality; a severe aspect, treatment, tone; a stern rebuke; a hard master, voice, judgment; harsh enforcement of laws; strict rules, discipline, repression of mischief; rigorous justice; rigid adherence to petty restrictions. See acrimony.

Wiktionary

1. adj. Grim or severe in manner or appearance
2. adj. Lacking trivial decoration; not extravagant or gaudy

GNU Webster's 1913

1. Sour and astringent; rough to the state; having acerbity
2. Severe in modes of judging, or living, or acting; rigid; rigorous; stern.
3. Unadorned; unembellished; severely simple.

WordNet 3.0

1. adj. severely simple
2. adj. practicing great self-denial
3. adj. of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect