Severe Definition & Meaning
Maybe your like
adjective
severer, severest-
harsh; unnecessarily extreme.
Antonyms: tolerant, lax, lenientsevere criticism; severe laws.
-
serious or stern in manner or appearance.
Synonyms: grim, forbidding, dour, austere, austere, punitive, draconian, rigorous, rigid, heavy-handed, strict Antonyms: temperate, mild, benign, gentlea severe face.
-
threatening a seriously bad outcome or involving serious issues; grave.
a severe illness.
-
rigidly restrained in style, taste, manner, etc.; simple, plain, or austere.
Synonyms: stark, serious, spartan -
causing discomfort or distress by extreme character or conditions, as weather, cold, or heat; unpleasantly violent, as rain or wind, or a blow or shock.
-
difficult to endure, perform, fulfill, etc..
a severe test of his powers.
-
rigidly exact, accurate, or methodical.
Synonyms: exacting, demanding Antonyms: facile, effortless, easysevere standards.
adjective
-
rigorous or harsh in the treatment of others; strict
a severe parent
-
serious in appearance or manner; stern
-
critical or dangerous
a severe illness
-
causing misery or discomfort by its harshness
severe weather
-
strictly restrained in appearance; austere
a severe way of dressing
-
hard to endure, perform, or accomplish
a severe test
-
rigidly precise or exact
Related Words
See stern 1.
Other Word Forms
- oversevere adjective
- oversevereness noun
- severely adverb
- severeness noun
- supersevere adjective
- supersevereness noun
- unsevere adjective
- unsevereness noun
Etymology
Origin of severe
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin sevērus, or back formation from severity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Parkes said more than 90% of chickens reared in the UK for meat were fast-growing breeds, which are prone to severe health issues.
From BBC
![]()
"Supply constraints today are less severe" than some fifty years ago and remain concentrated around the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global consumption of oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes.
From Barron's
![]()
Such condensation can be “highly acidic and dangerous, causing chemical burns to the skin and severe lung damage,” the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization warned, according to NBC News.
From Salon
![]()
Canadians were also facing severe weather on Monday, particularly in central Ontario and south-western Quebec.
From BBC
![]()
None of the participants experienced the severe side effects previously associated with CD40 drugs.
From Science Daily
![]()
Related Words
- acute
- bitter
- dangerous
- drastic
- extreme
- fierce
- heavy
- intense
- punishing
- serious
- sharp
- tough
- violent
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Tag » How Do You Spell Severe
-
Severe Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
-
SEVERE | Meaning, Definition In Cambridge English Dictionary
-
Severe Definition And Meaning | Collins English Dictionary
-
Severe - English Spelling Dictionary - Spellzone
-
How To Spell Severe (And How To Misspell It Too)
-
Severe - Definition Of Severe By The Free Dictionary
-
SEVERE (adjective) Definition And Synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary
-
Severe Vs Severe? - Spelling Which Is Correct How To Spell
-
Severe Meaning - YouTube
-
Correct Spelling For Severe [Infographic]
-
Dizziness - Symptoms And Causes - Mayo Clinic
-
High Latitude Corals Tolerate Severe Cold Spell - Frontiers
-
How Do You Spell Severe In English
-
Severe Downturns In Labour-intensive Sectors Spell Trouble For Global ...