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⇱ rigour - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

rigour

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈrɪgər/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(rig′ər)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
rig•our  (rig′ər),USA pronunciation n. [Chiefly Brit.]
  1. British Termsrigor.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
rigour, US rigor /ˈrɪɡə/ n
  1. harsh but just treatment or action
  2. a severe or cruel circumstance; hardship: the rigours of famine
  3. strictness, harshness, or severity of character
  4. strictness in judgment or conduct; rigorism
Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin rigor
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
rig•or /ˈrɪgɚ/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. [uncountable] the quality of being strict;
    strictness;
    inflexibility.
  2. hardship of some kind, as weather or climate:[countable]the rigors of winter.
  3. careful accuracy:[uncountable]the rigor of mathematics.
  4. Physiology[uncountable] a rigid condition of the body's muscles when unnaturally stiffened.
Also,[esp. Brit.,] ˈrig•our. 
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
rig•or  (rig′ər),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. strictness, severity, or harshness, as in dealing with people.
  2. the full or extreme severity of laws, rules, etc.
  3. severity of living conditions;
    hardship;
    austerity:the rigor of wartime existence.
  4. a severe or harsh act, circumstance, etc.
  5. scrupulous or inflexible accuracy or adherence:the logical rigor of mathematics.
  6. severity of weather or climate or an instance of this:the rigors of winter.
  7. Pathologya sudden coldness, as that preceding certain fevers;
    chill.
  8. Physiologya state of rigidity in muscle tissues during which they are unable to respond to stimuli due to the coagulation of muscle protein.
  9. [Obs.]stiffness or rigidity.
Also,[esp. Brit.,] rigour. 
  • Latin rigor stiffness, equivalent. to rig(ēre) to be stiff + -or -or1
  • Middle English rigour 1350–1400
    1. inflexibility, stringency. 4. cruelty.
'rigour' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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