Severe Definition & Meaning

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    • 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.

    The effects continued for up to a year and were particularly pronounced in those with neuropathic and severe pain.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    It says flying a drone or model aircraft without necessary IDs is against the law, and punishable by fines or, in severe cases, with prison sentences.

    From BBC

    Inertial confinement faces a less severe version of this issue, since its chamber walls can be placed farther from the target.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    In a four-year trial, the Sydnexis drug dramatically slowed progression—by more than 50% in children who exhibited the fastest disease progression and were at the highest risk of severe myopia.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    Curling was born in Scotland in the early 16th century but grew up centuries later on the Canadian prairies, where the severe weather, rural landscape and boredom provided fertile ground.

    From Los Angeles Times

    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.

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