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View synonyms for severely

severely

[suh-veer-lee]

adverb

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.



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Other Word Forms

  • overseverely adverb
  • superseverely adverb
  • unseverely adverb
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Word History and Origins

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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.

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.

Read more on BBC

Over the past four years, girls over the age of 12 were banned from getting an education and job options for women have been severely restricted.

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Significant portions of Hamas’s tunnel networks have been destroyed, its leadership has been decimated, and its ability to launch attacks has been severely degraded.

Arlene said she "still had hope" as they waited for scan results, but they revealed the "devastating" news that Mark's brain had been left severely damaged.

Read more on BBC

It took aim at the US's own port fees charged on Chinese ships, claiming they "severely harmed China's interests".

Read more on Barron's

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severedSeverinus