Severe Definition & Meaning

American

British

Related Words

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms severe American [suh-veer] / səˈvɪər /

adjective

severer, severest

1. harsh; unnecessarily extreme.

   severe criticism; severe laws.

   Antonyms: tolerant, lax, lenient

2. serious or stern in manner or appearance.

   a severe face.

   Synonyms: grim, forbidding, dour, austere, austere, punitive, draconian, rigorous, rigid, heavy-handed, strict Antonyms: temperate, mild, benign, gentle

3. threatening a seriously bad outcome or involving serious issues; grave.

   a severe illness.

4. rigidly restrained in style, taste, manner, etc.; simple, plain, or austere.

   Synonyms: stark, serious, spartan

5. 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.

6. difficult to endure, perform, fulfill, etc..

   a severe test of his powers.

7. rigidly exact, accurate, or methodical.

   severe standards.

   Synonyms: exacting, demanding Antonyms: facile, effortless, easy

severe British / sɪˈvɪə, sɪˈvɛrɪtɪ /

adjective

1. rigorous or harsh in the treatment of others; strict

   a severe parent

2. serious in appearance or manner; stern

3. critical or dangerous

   a severe illness

4. causing misery or discomfort by its harshness

   severe weather

5. strictly restrained in appearance; austere

   a severe way of dressing

6. hard to endure, perform, or accomplish

   a severe test

7. rigidly precise or exact

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.