rigourousness n 1: something hard to endure; "the asperity of northern winters" [syn: {asperity}, {grimness}, {hardship}, {rigor}, {rigour}, {severity}, {severeness}, {rigorousness}, {rigourousness}] 2: excessive sternness; "severity of character"; "the harshness of his punishment was inhuman"; "the rigors of boot camp" [syn: {severity}, {severeness}, {harshness}, {rigor}, {rigour}, {rigorousness}, {rigourousness}, {inclemency}, {hardness}, {stiffness}]