rigorous
Americanadjective
-
characterized by rigor; rigidly severe or harsh, as people, rules, or discipline.
rigorous laws.
- Synonyms:
- unyielding, stiff, inflexible, hard, austere, stern
-
severely exact or accurate; precise.
rigorous research.
- Antonyms:
- inaccurate
-
(of weather or climate) uncomfortably severe or harsh; extremely inclement.
- Antonyms:
- mild
-
Logic, Mathematics. logically valid.
adjective
-
characterized by or proceeding from rigour; harsh, strict, or severe
rigorous discipline
-
severely accurate; scrupulous
rigorous book-keeping
-
(esp of weather) extreme or harsh
-
maths logic (of a proof) making the validity of the successive steps completely explicit
Usage
What does rigorous mean? Rigorous is used to describe things characterized by rigor—strict discipline or severe exactness and precision.Describing an experiment or study as rigorous means it was conducted with extreme precision in order to achieve accuracy.Describing an athletic or academic program as rigorous means it is designed to be challenging and focused on strict discipline.If a teacher is known for being rigorous, it means that they are very strict about things like students completing all of their work and following the rules exactly.Example: The are the result of months of rigorous testing.
Related Words
See strict.
Other Word Forms
- overrigorous adjective
- overrigorousness noun
- rigorously adverb
- rigorousness noun
- self-rigorous adjective
- semirigorous adjective
- semirigorousness noun
- unrigorous adjective
- unrigorousness noun
Etymology
Origin of rigorous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin rigōrōsus; rigor, -ous
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
My wife and I ultimately chose a Modern Orthodox Jewish school with rigorous academics, serious Jewish education, and a community of families who shared our values.
Self-driving vehicles would undergo "rigorous" tests to prove they are at least as safe, competent and careful as human drivers, before being allowed on UK roads, the government said.
From Barron's
Consider this a guide for those days, from someone who has lived enough of them — and loves food enough to have developed a surprisingly rigorous philosophy about what, exactly, to do when desire disappears.
From Salon
The exhibition’s ambition to document the breadth of indigenous Australian art since the late 19th century is admirable, but a more rigorous, less inclusive selection would have been welcome.
Around 30 or 35 of those are selected for rigorous physical and mental tests, and in the end, only five or six are asked to join the patrol.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.