severe

[ suh-veer ]

/ səˈvɪər /

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See synonyms for: severe / severely on Thesaurus.com

adjective, se·ver·er, se·ver·est.

harsh; unnecessarily extreme: severe criticism; severe laws.

serious or stern in manner or appearance: a severe face.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR severe

1 strict, heavy-handed, rigid, rigorous; draconian, punitive.

2 austere, dour; forbidding, grim.

3 serious.

4 unadorned, stark, spartan.

7 demanding, exacting.

See synonyms for severe on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR severe

1 lenient, lax, tolerant.

2 gentle, benign.

5 mild, temperate.

6 undemanding; easy, effortless, facile.

See antonyms for severe on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of severe

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin sevērus, or back formation from severity

synonym study for severe

2. See stern¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM severe

se·vere·ly, adverbse·vere·ness, nouno·ver·se·vere, adjectiveo·ver·se·vere·ness, noun

su·per·se·vere, adjectivesu·per·se·vere·ness, nounun·se·vere, adjectiveun·se·vere·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use severe in a sentence

The availability of these antivirals could also potentially help overwhelmed hospitals focus on patients with the most severe symptoms.
Can This Antiviral Approach Treat COVID-19?|Charu Kasturi|November 19, 2020|Ozy
There were 10 cases of severe illness in the trial, nine of which were in the placebo group and one in the vaccine group.
Pfizer says its coronavirus vaccine is safe and 95% effective and that it will seek regulatory review within days|Carolyn Y. Johnson, Laurie McGinley|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
It’s encouraging to see early results that show the vaccine can cut the risk of severe disease, says Nina Luning Prak.
Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 appears nearly 95 percent effective|Erin Garcia de Jesus|November 16, 2020|Science News For Students
The study also found that coronavirus patients overall need to remain on ventilators for longer and are more likely to develop severe lung inflammation than flu patients.
You can get COVID-19 and the flu at the same time|Rachael Zisk|November 16, 2020|Popular-Science

Neither Pfizer nor Moderna have reported any severe reactions thus far.
A second COVID-19 vaccine just reported excellent results. What now?|Claire Maldarelli|November 16, 2020|Popular-Science
McClellan came up immediately, and, though I was fairly worn out with the severeness of the ride, we sat up till one oclock.
The Life of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Volume I (of 2)|Hazard Stevens

British Dictionary definitions for severe

severe

/ (sɪˈvɪə) /

adjective

rigorous or harsh in the treatment of others; stricta severe parent

serious in appearance or manner; stern

critical or dangerousa severe illness

causing misery or discomfort by its harshnesssevere weather

strictly restrained in appearance; austerea severe way of dressing

hard to endure, perform, or accomplisha severe test

rigidly precise or exact

Derived forms of severe

severely, adverbsevereness or severity (sɪˈvɛrɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for severe

C16: from Latin sevērus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

severe

OTHER WORDS FOR severe

OPPOSITES FOR severe

Origin of severe

synonym study for severe

OTHER WORDS FROM severe

Words related to severe

How to use severe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for severe

Derived forms of severe

Word Origin for severe