severely
Americanadverb
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in a very stern, strict, or harsh way.
One day he was caught taking a few pieces of scrap wood and was severely punished with two weeks of hard labor.
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to a grave, far-reaching, or critical degree; seriously.
Severely ill patients with kidney infections may be hospitalized until they can take fluids and medications on their own.
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in a very simple, plain, or austere style or manner.
She wore her hair severely tied back in a ponytail and refused to wear anything feminine.
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in a very challenging or exacting way that is difficult to endure.
The Great Depression severely tested the parish, as the church building was almost lost to creditors.
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to a distressing or highly uncomfortable degree.
Much of North America experiences periods of severely cold weather and is susceptible to snow and ice storms.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of severely
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.
Berton, the national disaster agency spokesman, said at least 914 houses on the island were severely damaged and hundreds of others to a lesser degree.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
That’s mainly because global refining capacity for finished fuels is severely constrained by geopolitical conflicts and facility disruptions, even as crude supplies remain relatively stable.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
However, early reports indicate more than 150 houses had been severely damaged, as well as dozens of educational institutions, a number of healthcare facilities, places of worship, offices, and several other public facilities.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
New York Fed researchers found that the pace of credit-card delinquencies stabilized after 2024 when removing severely derogatory balances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
“You must learn to be careful,” Puli said severely, while stones and earth still rained down on us like hailstones.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
