rigor

noun

ˈri-gər How to pronounce rigor (audio)
Definition of rigornext
1
as in hardship
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal hard-bitten folk who survived many rigors on the way to the promised land

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism) after being coddled by his former coach, the swimmer was shocked by the rigor of the new training program

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accuracy
the quality or state of being very accurate said that she had heard that excuse a million times, but then she was never known for the rigor of her calculations

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rigor When that ability gets constrained, when communication feels censored, when speed is prized over rigor, when ambiguity gets exploited instead of clarified, the meaning of the work itself starts to erode. — Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026 David Steele, her then-boyfriend and now-husband saw her through the rigors of CyBorD and the therapies that followed. — Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Just a small interval on the playground every morning and afternoon was enough to unleash us from the daily rigors of classroom routine. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026 Asked about how the rigors of playing in the Big Ten prepped his IU team for the playoffs, Cignetti served up one of his signature smirks. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rigor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rigor
  1. hardship
  2. severity
  3. accuracy
  4. difficulty
  5. precision
  6. perfection
Noun
  • Some federal loans sometimes also qualify for loan forgiveness, hardship relief, and deferment and forbearance options that can impact your repayment timeline.
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Economic hardship for working families and young people exacerbates their frustration and disenfranchisement, while a tepid Democratic leadership response adds to anti-establishment sentiment.
    — Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of hardship
Noun
  • But researchers stress that the more concerning trends are the severity of the injuries and the fact that they’re especially pronounced among children.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers found a relationship between the apparent covertness of the recording devices and the severity of the harassment.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • In a war of attrition dominated by unmanned systems, greater autonomy will enable drones to strike deeper behind enemy lines with greater accuracy, expanding the no man's land between opposing forces.
    — David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Though the Rays acquired Liam Hicks on Monday, the accuracy of their ABS challenges at the catcher position is unlikely to change.
    — Abby DiSalvo, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of accuracy
Noun
  • Government agencies’ own survey responses provide little evidence that pension benefits are driving any recruitment difficulties.
    — Mariana Trujillo, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The church has no difficulty prescribing specifics when the subject is autonomous lethal weapons.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of difficulty
Noun
  • The chassis and suspension are heavily revised for enhanced agility and precision, complemented by carbon-ceramic brakes.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • There was a fluidity to their performance that treasured passion over technical precision.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of precision
Noun
  • But their exceptional sound only doubles down on that, which uses algorithms to bring their sound processing pretty darn close to perfection.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The season is coming to a close, yes, but the water is at its warmest, the farmstand fruit is at its sweetest, and the temperatures, once far too high, have usually cooled down to the high 70s and low 80s (perfection).
    — Annie Daly, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of perfection

Browse Nearby Words

rigmarole
rigor
rigorous
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Cite this Entry

“Rigor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rigor. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of rigor for Spanish Speakers

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