Synonyms and related words :
Spartan, Spartanic, acid, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, astringent, austere, authoritarian, binding, biting, bitter, bleak, caustic, confining, cutting, demanding, double-edged, dour, draconian, drawing, edged, escharotic, exacting, exigent, fierce, grim, hard, harsh, incisive, inclement, ironhanded, keen, meticulous, mordacious, mordant, penetrating, piercing, poignant, rigorist, rigorous, rough, rugged, scathing, severe, sharp, stabbing, stern, stinging, strict, strident, tart, tough, trenchant, ungentle, unsparing, vehement, violent, virulent, vitriolic