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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
When the data center issue first flared up last year, Bare was in the hospital with a severe spinal infection, fielding worried updates from her mother.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
This can lead to severe shortness of breath, fatigue, and repeated trips to the hospital.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Millions of people's mobile phones lit up and bleeped with a "severe alert" notification on Friday which said there was a "very high risk of wildfires nationally".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ken Skates said he sought help after his symptoms were at their most severe while studying at the University of Cambridge and he was eventually diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and depression.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
It was the same year that Dolley Madison, facing severe financial difficulties, sold Montpelier, along with about half of its enslaved people.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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
Paranoia, at least in its severer forms, completely justifies the plea of irresponsibility for actions committed.
From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by Austin ?Malley
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
In 1987, the organization handed the football team the so-called death penalty, the severest punishment it has ever imposed on a Division I school for rules violations.
From New York Times ● Mar. 30, 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
Heat-related illness ranges from heat exhaustion, which causes heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, to heatstroke, which causes confusion, loss of consciousness, high fever, and in many of the severest cases even death.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2023
The pile of bricks Claire hid behind shielded her from the severest heat and most of the flying debris.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
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.
