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Austere vs Astute - What's the difference?

austere | astute |

As adjectives the difference between austere and astute

is that austere is austere while astute is quickly and critically discerning.

austere

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Grim or severe in manner or appearance
    • The headmistress was an austere old woman.
  • Lacking trivial decoration; not extravagant or gaudy
    • The interior of the church was as austere as the parishioners were dour.

    Synonyms

    * (grim or severe) stern, strict, forbidding * (lacking trivial decoration) simple, plain, unadorned, unembellished

    Antonyms

    * (not lacking trivial decoration) overwrought, flamboyant, extravagant, gaudy, flashy

    Derived terms

    * austerity * austerely

    astute

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • quickly and critically discerning
  • shrewd or crafty
  • * 2014 , A teacher, " Choosing a primary school: a teacher's guide for parents", The Guardian , 23 September 2014:
    • The best headteachers are like submarine captains – cool-headed, astute decision-makers – who trust their colleagues and surroundings to indicate where their ship is headed.

    Synonyms

    * crafty, shrewd, wily

    Derived terms

    * astutely * astuteness

    Anagrams

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