austerity

/ɒˈsterəti/ (bre, ipa) · /ɔːˈsterəti/ (ame, ipa) · /ȯ-ˈster-ə-tē -ˈste-rə- also -ˈstir-ə-/ (ame, mw)

austerity — 名詞

1. a way of living in which a person owns very few things, gives up pleasures, and

1.名詞C1
釋義

簡樸；苦行

刻意過清苦、無享受的生活方式

a way of living in which a person owns very few things, gives up pleasures, and accepts plain food, simple clothes, and basic shelter, often for religious or moral reasons.

例句

The young monk embraced a life of austerity in the mountain temple.

那位年輕的修士在山上的寺院裡選擇了苦行的生活。

a life of austerity (typical noun phrase)

Mahatma Gandhi was famous for his austerity, owning only a bowl, a book, and his glasses.

甘地以他的簡樸聞名，身邊只有一個碗、一本書和他的眼鏡。

famous for + austerity

同義詞
  • asceticism

    stronger; emphasises rejecting all pleasure for spiritual reasons

  • self-denial

    everyday term; less tied to religion

  • abstinence

    narrower; usually about food, drink, or sex specifically

反義詞

用法筆記

Often appears with religious or moral subjects (monks, saints, philosophers). Countable form 'austerities' refers to specific self-denying acts; uncountable form refers to the lifestyle as a whole.

常見錯誤

❌She lives a austerity life.
✅She lives a life of austerity.
💡austerity is a noun, not an adjective; use the adjective 'austere' before a noun (an austere life).

2. a hard period for ordinary people that follows when a government decides to spen

2.名詞C1
釋義

撙節；緊縮

政府大砍開支造成的經濟緊縮

a hard period for ordinary people that follows when a government decides to spend much less on services, wages, and welfare in order to cut its debt.

例句

Years of austerity in Greece left many hospitals short of nurses and basic medicine.

希臘多年的緊縮政策讓許多醫院缺護理師、缺基本藥品。

years of austerity (duration phrase)

The new finance minister rejected austerity and promised to raise pensions instead.

新任財政部長拒絕撙節政策，反而承諾調高退休金。

rejected/embraced austerity

同義詞
反義詞
  • stimulus

    extra government spending to grow the economy

  • expansion

    increasing budgets and public programmes

用法筆記

Subject is usually a government, finance ministry, or central bank; almost always uncountable. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about national economic policy, not personal lifestyle, and rarely carries the moral or religious tone of sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌The country is in an austerity.
✅The country is in austerity.
💡uncountable in this sense; no article 'an' before it.
❌They made austerity to the schools.
✅They imposed austerity measures on the schools.
💡austerity is not something you 'do' to a thing; pair it with verbs like impose, introduce, or adopt.

3. a clean, plain look in a building, room, or design that has no decoration, brigh

3.名詞C2
釋義

樸素；素雅

外觀無裝飾、簡單樸實的特質

a clean, plain look in a building, room, or design that has no decoration, bright colour, or extra detail.

例句

The chapel's grey walls and bare wooden benches gave it a striking austerity.

教堂灰色的牆面與光禿的木長椅，呈現一種搶眼的素雅。

[place] + gave it + austerity

Visitors are often surprised by the austerity of the architect's own home in Kyoto.

訪客常對這位建築師京都自宅的樸素感到驚訝。

the austerity of + [place/object]

同義詞
反義詞

用法筆記

Subjects are usually buildings, rooms, design, clothing, or art. Often praised as elegant rather than dull. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense focuses on visual plainness, while sense 4 focuses on a strict, serious manner of behaviour.

常見錯誤

❌The room felt austerity.
✅The room felt austere.
💡use the adjective 'austere' as a complement of 'feel/look'; reserve the noun 'austerity' for noun positions.

4. a strict, serious way of behaving or speaking that shows no warmth and little hu

4.名詞C2
釋義

嚴肅；嚴峻

態度或言談嚴肅冷峻、毫無溫度

a strict, serious way of behaving or speaking that shows no warmth and little humour.

例句

The headmistress ruled the boarding school with quiet austerity for thirty years.

這位女校長以低調的嚴峻治理寄宿學校長達三十年。

rule with austerity (manner phrase)

Judge Lin's austerity in court frightened young lawyers more than her sharp questions.

林法官在法庭上的嚴肅，比她尖銳的問題更讓年輕律師害怕。

austerity + in [setting]

同義詞
  • sternness

    common everyday word for the same idea

  • severity

    stronger; suggests harshness or even cruelty

  • gravity

    softer; suggests serious dignity rather than coldness

反義詞
  • warmth

    friendly, kind manner

  • levity

    humour and lightness in manner

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a person or their voice, face, or manner. Often paired with adjectives like 'cold', 'quiet', or 'stern'. Distinguish from sense 3: that sense is about how something looks, this sense is about how someone acts or speaks.

常見錯誤

❌He talked to me with austerity voice.
✅He talked to me with austerity in his voice.
💡austerity is a noun, not a modifier; place it inside a prepositional phrase, or use the adjective 'austere' (an austere voice).