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
- 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.
Ahead of U.S.-Iranian talks in Pakistan over the weekend, Iran’s de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz remains a thorny issue, with traffic through the waterway still severely limited.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
Three, now that he’s disgraced himself and severely harmed people around the country, he’s got a chance to redeem himself.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
An earlier report on the Iran war said "all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth," and highlighted the impact of a severely disrupted fertilizer supply chain on food security.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
The desperation for clubs to try and maintain or push for Premier League status has perhaps been demonstrated the most severely by Leicester City.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
The woman had a long, brooding oval face of burnt umber, with coarse graying black hair parted severely in the middle and combed back austerely behind her neck without curl, wave or ornamentation.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
