Someone or something austere is very plain, simple, and serious, often without any extra comfort, decoration, or warmth.
It comes from Greek *austēros*, meaning 'harsh, severe, dry', originally used of rough-tasting wine. The sense broadened to strictness in lifestyle, appearance, or behavior.
The jump from harsh wine to harsh lifestyles is a good example of how sensory words become moral ones. Many spiritual and artistic traditions praise an austere life because removing extras can make what’s essential stand out more clearly.
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