1
a(1)
: harsh inflexibility in opinion, temper, or judgment : severity
The least one might observe is that this muddle of moralism and laxity, extreme rigor and casual permissiveness, arduous altruism and nonchalant selfishness, has consequences.—Peter Berkowitz
(2)
: the quality of being unyielding or inflexible : strictness
Their abandonment of this terminology is part of an effort to soften the rigor of some of the rigid consequences thought to flow from the mechanical application of this dichotomy.—John D. Calamari and Joseph M. Perillo
(3)
: severity of life : austerity
… a moral rigor and growth that might help this country.—Stanley Kauffmann
b
: an act or instance of strictness, severity, or cruelty
… the humanist must recognize the normality, the practical necessity of the very rigors he is trying to soften and correct.—Hermann J. Muller
2
: a tremor caused by a chill
This young woman presented at the hospital with severe abdominal pain and signs of infection, including fever, rigor, and leukocytosis.—Robert E. Scully et al.
3
: a condition that makes life difficult, challenging, or uncomfortable
especially
: extremity of cold
the rigors of a New England winter
4
: strict precision : exactness
logical rigor
Tentatively one might suggest that what characterizes science is the rigor of its methodology …—Ernst Mayr
5
b
: rigidness or torpor of organs or tissue that prevents response to stimuli
c
: rigor mortis
A fish has its best flavor and texture when cooked while just coming out of rigor.—Jane Daniels Lear
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share