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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
- overseverely adverb
- superseverely adverb
- unseverely adverb
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.
If citizens cannot reliably distinguish between genuine public opinion and algorithmically generated simulation of unanimity, democratic decision-making could be severely compromised.
From Salon
When a Wall Street Journal team visited the plant recently following the latest bombardment, workers moved through soot-covered halls with flashlights to examine the severely damaged facility.
"Authorities have introduced fuel rationing, scaled back public services, and made temporary changes to healthcare, education, transport and tourism operations to conserve severely limited energy supplies," the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warned recently.
From BBC
A venerable City of London institution is being snapped up by a U.S. asset manager in a nearly $14 billion deal that comes amid growing fears that AI will severely disrupt the finance sector.
From MarketWatch
A venerable City of London institution is being snapped up by a U.S. asset manager in a nearly $14 billion deal that comes amid growing fears that AI will severely disrupt the finance sector.
From MarketWatch
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.
