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Squalid vs Austere - What's the difference?

squalid | austere |

As adjectives the difference between squalid and austere

is that squalid is extremely dirty and unpleasant while austere is grim or severe in manner or appearance.

As a noun squalid

is any member of the Squalidae.

squalid

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Extremely dirty and unpleasant.
  • Showing a contemptible lack of moral standards.
    • A squalid attempt to buy votes.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (zoology) Any member of the Squalidae.
  • * 2008 , David A. Ebert, James A. Sulikowski, Biology of Skates (page 126)
    • Numerous diet studies on squalids have shown that members of this family tend to feed mainly on teleosts and cephalopods

    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