severe
Americanadjective
-
harsh; unnecessarily extreme.
severe criticism; severe laws.
-
serious or stern in manner or appearance.
a severe face.
- Synonyms:
- grim, forbidding, dour, austere, punitive, draconian, rigorous, rigid, heavy-handed, strict
-
threatening a seriously bad outcome or involving serious issues; grave.
a severe illness.
-
rigidly restrained in style, taste, manner, etc.; simple, plain, or austere.
-
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.
severe standards.
- Antonyms:
- facile, effortless, easy
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
Synonym Usage
See stern 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of severe
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin sevērus, or back formation from severity
Explanation
Whether you're talking about a punishment, the weather, or how bad your flu is, severe indicates that it's at the limit of the spectrum. The austerity of a word like severe serves many purposes. The common usage is to describe tough or painful stuff, like icy snowstorms, merciless punishments, or grim conditions (e.g., a severe depression). If things are severe, they're serious. Severe could also describe a person's haircut if it's brutally short and angular, or their wardrobe if it tends to be all black with no flourishes.
Vocabulary lists containing severe
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
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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.
See Examples For:
The mechanism has existed since at least the 19th century, but it has only been used a few times, usually in response to severe environmental destruction.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
A veterinarian found the mountain lion’s injuries were too severe and recommended euthanizing it, wildlife officials said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"My periods were changing, I was experiencing severe pain, but I was still being told I was fine," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
He said it was now too late in the growing season in areas "where drought damage is severe" to expect any help from a change in the weather.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Natural indolence, you mean. It’s really dreadful!” and Amy looked severe.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
The Oscars’ viewership woes are severer and more clear-cut: Last year’s broadcast saw a 58 percent drop in viewership from 2020, according to Nielsen.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 18, 2022
The Morgan has got the Frick Collection’s portrait of Thomas More, while Los Angeles got the Frick’s severer portrait of Thomas Cromwell; neither has been seen among other Holbeins in a century.
From New York Times ● Feb. 10, 2022
This year is predicted to be severer still, with economists forecasting a downswing of between 7% and 11% - unparalleled anywhere in Latin America save Venezuela.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 16, 2019
Past generations of Americans have faced and overcome severer tests.
From MSNBC ● Jan. 16, 2018
Of course, even in severer forms of epilepsy, mental disturbances do not appear at once.
From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by Austin ?Malley
He performs with an affectionate twinkle in his eye, offering understanding even when his jealousy is put to the severest test.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2025
You’d think that Deborah, the seasoned comedian who has weathered the severest industry toxicity imaginable, would appreciate that about Ava.
From Salon ● May 2, 2024
A global authority on food security said that in the coming months, as many as 1.1 million people in Gaza could face the severest levels of hunger.
From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2024
When this process fails, babies can have something called a neural tube defect, which includes spina bifida where, in the severest form, the spine is exposed and can be damaged.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2023
People, he said, will willingly undergo the severest suffering in order to free themselves from oppression.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
