rigor
Americannoun
-
rigors
plural
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strictness, severity, or harshness, as in dealing with people.
- Synonyms:
- stringency, inflexibility
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the full or extreme severity of laws, rules, etc.
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severity of living conditions; hardship; austerity.
the rigor of wartime existence.
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a severe or harsh act, circumstance, etc.
- Synonyms:
- cruelty
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scrupulous or inflexible accuracy or adherence.
the logical rigor of mathematics.
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severity of weather or climate or an instance of this.
the rigors of winter.
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Pathology. a sudden coldness, as that preceding certain fevers; chill.
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Physiology. a state of rigidity in muscle tissues during which they are unable to respond to stimuli due to the coagulation of muscle protein.
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Obsolete. stiffness or rigidity.
noun
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med a sudden feeling of chilliness, often accompanied by shivering: it sometimes precedes a fever
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pathol rigidity of a muscle; muscular cramp
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a state of rigidity assumed by some animals in reaction to sudden shock
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the inertia assumed by some plants in conditions unfavourable to growth
Usage
What is rigor? Rigor is strictness and inflexibility, as in The military academy was known for its dedication to perfection, discipline, and rigor. Rigor is also hardship or austerity, as in Young soldiers are rarely ready to handle the rigors of war. Rigor can also refer to a strict accuracy, as with scientific experiments. If a teacher is known for their rigor, they are very strict about things like students finishing all their homework and are likely to punish students who don’t follow the rules. A person known for rigor is likely to support punishments for people who misbehave rather than rewards for people who behave. Rigor can also mean a condition that makes life harder, such as living without electricity. When referring to austerity, can mean living without a lot of things that make life pleasant, like takeout food, video games, and traveling. Finally, rigor can mean strict accuracy or precision, as in The report on water pollution was commended for its scientific rigor. In British English, this word is commonly spelled as rigour. The adjective form of rigor is rigorous and it is most often used to mean something is very harsh or full of difficulties, as in It takes years of rigorous training to be an Olympic athlete. Example: We nearly froze as we huddled in the log cabin and suffered through the rigors of the harsh, unforgiving winter.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of rigor
1350–1400; Middle English rigour < Latin rigor stiffness, equivalent to rig ( ēre ) to be stiff + -or -or 1
Explanation
When a school boasts of its academic rigor, it means its students learn a lot and work really hard. Rigor means thoroughness and exhaustiveness — the gold standard for a good teacher. You may have heard of "rigor mortis" — which is a medical term describing the stiffness of a body after death. Another meaning of rigor is "sternness or severity" — for many, the rigors of boot camp are not easy to endure.
Vocabulary lists containing rigor
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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.
See Examples For:
We model recessions, drawdowns and bad decades with rigor and sophistication.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
"It's the only trial of its kind that has been done with such rigor and control and demonstrates relevance to human physiology," Dixit says.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
The film frames their lapses in rigor as the joys of being a teenager, rather than imperfections — or worse, weakness in the pursuit of glory.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont, however, described Turk as "a voice of conscience" who had demonstrated "rigor and impartiality" during his first term.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Not to say that the job would be easy, or in need of any less rigor and sophistication than the previous research; simply that it could be done.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
The German, who logic says should be eaten alive by the horrible rigors of his job at Ibrox, also looks like he's revelling in the gig.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2025
Her father said his 115-pound daughter took close to a year off to build her strength for the rigors of training.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025
It is one of the striking amenities at High Point, which prides itself on preparing students for the rigors of a career—and has also become a favorite of affluent families.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
No, he insisted in response to three separate inquiries, the rigors of being the first two-way threat since the days of Babe Ruth weren’t the cause of his offensive slump.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2025
It may have been that they were weak people, ill suited for the rigors of emigration, its humiliations and compromises, its competing demands of self-discipline and adventurousness.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
