rigorous
Extremely thorough and careful
Examples
In a meeting
“The application process requires rigorous background checks.”
Over coffee
“My trainer has a rigorous workout routine that exhausts me.”
Why this word
strict
Strict means enforcing rules firmly, while rigorous emphasizes thoroughness, precision, and demanding standards
thorough
Thorough means complete, while rigorous adds the dimension of exacting standards and systematic precision
tough
Tough is informal and vague, while rigorous specifically conveys intellectual or methodological exactitude and comprehensiveness
Usage tip
Use to describe processes or standards that are demanding and thorough; implies high standards
Etymology
Latin: rigor 'stiffness, hardness', from rigere 'to be stiff'
Get a new word every morning
One precise word per day. Under 60 seconds to read. Free forever.
Related words
normalize
To make something standard or regular practice
cursory
Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed
criteria
Standards or principles used to judge or decide something
broach
To bring up or introduce a topic for discussion
streamline
To make a process or system more efficient by simplifying or eliminating unnecessary steps.
delegate
To assign a task or responsibility to someone else.