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.
Synonym Usage
See strict.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rigorous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin rigōrōsus; see rigor, -ous
Explanation
If you are rigorous when you do something, you do it extremely carefully and precisely. A rigorous inspection of your tax records has revealed the government owes you money. Congratulations! The Latin root for rigorous is rigor, meaning “stiffness.” This might remind you of rigor mortis, the stiffening of a body after death, as often seen on cop shows. This is a good, if creepy, way of remembering the meaning of rigorous: rigorous people are stiff and unbending about the standards of their work. This requires being alive, of course.
Vocabulary lists containing rigorous
List 1
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The Giver
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This Week in Words: September 25 - October 1, 2017
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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.
“Read the proposed rule. We require a rigorous, objective, thorough and analytical fiduciary process that must be documented.”
From Salon • Jul. 9, 2026
While refusing to give details, a VW spokesman said the group needed to "improve its competitiveness" and apply "even more rigorous cost and investment discipline".
From Barron's • Jul. 9, 2026
The freshman lineman was put through rigorous drills by strength and conditioning coach Mark Kulbis, according to the attorney general’s office, even though Kulbis knew Dickey Jr. had sickle-cell trait.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
Far from seeming like a steely leader in a rigorous era, he instead recalls all those gentle, soft, pouty-lipped dreamboats who pop up interchangeably in young-adult soaps on the streaming services.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
The scientist must be slow, scrupulous, severe, rigorous.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
