rigor Hear it!

rigor Definition

rigor (rigər; for 4 & 5, occas.gôr)

noun

  1. harshness or severity; specif.,
    1. strictness or inflexibility the rigor of martial law
    2. extreme hardship or difficulty the rigors of life
    3. inclemency, as of weather
  2. exactness in precision or accuracy; exactitude
  3. a severe, harsh, or oppressive act, etc.
  4. stiffness; rigidity; specif., a condition of rigidity in body tissues or organs, in which there is no response to stimuli
  5. a shivering or trembling, as in the chill preceding a fever

Etymology: ME < MFr rigueur < L rigor < rigere: see rigid

rigor Synonyms

rigor

n.

rigidity, stiffness, inflexibility, hardness, sternness, harshness, hardship, difficulty, austerity, severity, strictness, stringency, inexorability, obduracy, exactitude, preciseness, precision, intolerance, obstinacy, freedom from deviation, uncompromisingness, inclemency, tenacity, traditionalism, conventionalism, relentlessness, rigorousness; see also stubbornness.

Antonyms leniency, lenity, mildness. See syn. study at difficulty.difficulty.

rigor Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • environment: They are built to meet the rigors of industrial environments and offer parallel parameters covering just about all the basics.
  • life: The day center offers welcome respite from the daily rigors of life on the streets.
  • winter: Putting food out for birds in your garden can help them get through the rigors of winter.
  • road: Mechanical construction that can stand up to the rigors of the road.
  • training: What this means is, the very rigors of weight training " leak " nitrogen carrying glutamine from muscle tissue.
  • approach: This is acutely problematic among elderly patients who are frequently unable to tolerate the rigors of more intensive treatment approaches.

Converse of object

  • withstand: It's stylish housing is made to withstand the rigors of field shooting.
  • survive: A trout that can survive the rigors of a trout stream, especially a Brown Trout, is a very cunning animal indeed.
  • lack: Friedman's arguments are provocative but at times lack rigor.
  • have: She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
  • maintain: How can we maintain academic rigor through this process?
  • bring: It is a rare gem that brings academic rigor to the real world.

Adjective modifier

  • methodological: By means of this structure, the reader gains insight into the methodological rigor behind Hopkins ' translation at an almost pedagogical level.
  • mathematical: These critics also argue that absolute freedom of thought is detrimental to mathematical rigor.
  • intellectual: But it does take some intellectual rigor to follow his complex but lucid arguments.
  • scientific: He was a wonderful scientist who not only was very clever but had a deep sense of scientific rigor.
  • academic: How can we maintain academic rigor through this process?
  • full: This schedule has the effect of phasing in some of the changes by giving temporary exemptions from the full rigor the new law.

Modifies a noun

  • mortis: At some point over night the whole thing just locked, to be found in the same state of digital rigor mortis this morning.

Noun used with modifier

  • description: What are the changes that take place in the human body after death which account for the description rigor mortis?

Browse dictionary entries near rigor

  1. rigmarole
  2. rigidify
  3. rigid
  4. righty
  5. rightward
  6. rights offering
  7. righto
  8. rightness
  9. rightly
  10. rightist
  1. rigor mortis
  2. rigorism
  3. rigorous
  4. Riis
  5. Rijeka
  6. Rijn
  7. rijsttafel
  8. Rijswijk
  9. Riksmål
  10. rile