severe
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se·vere
(sə-vîr′)adj. se·ver·er, se·ver·est
1. Unsparing, harsh, or strict, as in treatment of others: a severe critic.
2. Marked by or requiring strict adherence to rigorous standards or high principles: a severe code of behavior.
3. Stern or forbidding, as in manner or appearance: spoke in a severe voice.
4. Extremely plain in substance or style: a severe black dress.
5. Causing great discomfort, damage, or distress: a severe pain; a severe storm.
6. Very dangerous or harmful; grave or grievous: severe mental illness.
7. Extremely difficult to perform or endure; trying: a severe test of our loyalty.
se·vere′ly adv.
se·vere′ness n.
Synonyms: severe, stern1, austere, ascetic, strict
These adjectives mean unsparing and exacting with respect to discipline or control. Severe implies adherence to rigorous standards or high principles and often suggests harshness: "Praise or blame has but a momentary effect on the man whose love of beauty in the abstract makes him a severe critic on his own works" (John Keats).
Stern suggests unyielding disposition, uncompromising resolution, or forbidding appearance or nature: "She was a stern woman who ran the household with precision and an iron hand" (Margaret Truman).
Austere connotes aloofness or lack of feeling or sympathy, and often rigid morality: "The captain ... was an austere man that never laughed or smiled that one could see" (Alan Paton).
Ascetic suggests self-discipline and often renunciation of worldly pleasures for spiritual improvement: "Be systematically ascetic ... do ... something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it" (William James).
Strict means requiring or showing stringent observance of obligations, rules, or standards: "She was afraid to wake him up because even in his sleep he seemed to be such a strict man" (Eudora Welty).
These adjectives mean unsparing and exacting with respect to discipline or control. Severe implies adherence to rigorous standards or high principles and often suggests harshness: "Praise or blame has but a momentary effect on the man whose love of beauty in the abstract makes him a severe critic on his own works" (John Keats).
Stern suggests unyielding disposition, uncompromising resolution, or forbidding appearance or nature: "She was a stern woman who ran the household with precision and an iron hand" (Margaret Truman).
Austere connotes aloofness or lack of feeling or sympathy, and often rigid morality: "The captain ... was an austere man that never laughed or smiled that one could see" (Alan Paton).
Ascetic suggests self-discipline and often renunciation of worldly pleasures for spiritual improvement: "Be systematically ascetic ... do ... something for no other reason than that you would rather not do it" (William James).
Strict means requiring or showing stringent observance of obligations, rules, or standards: "She was afraid to wake him up because even in his sleep he seemed to be such a strict man" (Eudora Welty).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
severe
(sɪˈvɪə)adj
1. rigorous or harsh in the treatment of others; strict: a severe parent.
2. serious in appearance or manner; stern
3. critical or dangerous: a severe illness.
4. causing misery or discomfort by its harshness: severe weather.
5. strictly restrained in appearance; austere: a severe way of dressing.
6. hard to endure, perform, or accomplish: a severe test.
7. rigidly precise or exact
[C16: from Latin sevērus]
seˈverely adv
seˈvereness, severity n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
se•vere
(səˈvɪər)adj. -ver•er, -ver•est.
1. harsh; unnecessarily extreme: severe criticism.
2. serious or stern in manner or appearance.
3. grave; critical: a severe illness.
4. rigidly restrained in style, taste, etc.; plain; austere.
5. of an extreme, intense, or violent character or nature: severe thunderstorms.
6. difficult to endure, perform, fulfill, etc.: a severe test of strength.
7. rigidly exact; demanding: severe standards.
[1540–50; < Latin sevērus, or back formation from severity]
se•vere′ly, adv.
se•vere′ness, n.
syn: See stern1.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Adj. | 1. | severe - intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality; "severe pain"; "a severe case of flu"; "a terrible cough"; "under wicked fire from the enemy's guns"; "a wicked cough" intense - possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense" |
| 2. | severe - very strong or vigorous; "strong winds"; "a hard left to the chin"; "a knockout punch"; "a severe blow" strong - having strength or power greater than average or expected; "a strong radio signal"; "strong medicine"; "a strong man" | |
| 3. |  severe - severely simple; "a stark interior"plain - not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building" | |
| 4. | severe - unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment; "a parent severe to the pitch of hostility"- H.G.Wells; "a hefty six-footer with a rather severe mien"; "a strict disciplinarian"; "a Spartan upbringing" nonindulgent, strict - characterized by strictness, severity, or restraint | |
| 5. | severe - causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; "a dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound"; "a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of pneumonia"; "a life-threatening disease" critical - being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency; "a critical shortage of food"; "a critical illness"; "an illness at the critical stage" | |
| 6. | severe - very bad in degree or extent; "a severe worldwide depression"; "the house suffered severe damage" bad - having undesirable or negative qualities; "a bad report card"; "his sloppy appearance made a bad impression"; "a bad little boy"; "clothes in bad shape"; "a bad cut"; "bad luck"; "the news was very bad"; "the reviews were bad"; "the pay is bad"; "it was a bad light for reading"; "the movie was a bad choice" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
severe
adjective
1. serious, critical, terrible, desperate, alarming, extreme, grave, awful, distressing, appalling, dire, drastic, very bad, catastrophic, woeful, ruinous a business with severe cash flow problems
2. acute, extreme, intense, burning, violent, piercing, racking, searing, tormenting, exquisite, harrowing, unbearable, excruciating, agonizing, insufferable, torturous, unendurable He woke up blinded and in severe pain.
3. tough, hard, difficult, taxing, demanding, fierce, punishing, exacting, rigorous, stringent, arduous, unrelenting He had faced an appallingly severe task in the jungle.
tough easy, manageable
tough easy, manageable
4. strict, hard, harsh, cruel, rigid, relentless, drastic, oppressive, austere, Draconian, unrelenting, inexorable, pitiless, unbending, iron-handed This was a dreadful crime and a severe sentence is necessary.
strict easy, lax, lenient, relaxed, tractable
strict easy, lax, lenient, relaxed, tractable
5. grim, serious, grave, cold, forbidding, stern, sober, disapproving, dour, unsmiling, flinty, strait-laced, tight-lipped He had a severe look that disappeared when he smiled.
grim genial, affable
grim genial, affable
6. plain, simple, austere, classic, restrained, functional, Spartan, ascetic, unadorned, unfussy, unembellished wearing her felt hats and severe grey suits
plain fancy, ornate, embellished, ornamental
plain fancy, ornate, embellished, ornamental
7. harsh, cutting, biting, scathing, satirical, caustic, astringent, vitriolic, mordant, unsparing, mordacious The team has suffered severe criticism from influential figures.
harsh kind, gentle, compassionate
harsh kind, gentle, compassionate
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
severe
adjective1. Rigorous and unsparing in treating others:
7. Requiring great or extreme bodily, mental, or spiritual strength:
arduous, backbreaking, burdensome, demanding, difficult, effortful, exacting, exigent, formidable, hard, heavy, laborious, onerous, oppressive, rigorous, rough, taxing, tough, trying, weighty.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
بَسيط، غَيْر مُزَخْرَفشَديد، خَطيرقارِس، لاذِع
příkrýpřísnýstrohývážný
strengvoldsomenkelhårdstærk
ankararajutuimavaikea
komolysúlyosszigorú
alvarlegureinfaldur, látlausharîur, óvæginn
厳しい
bargsnopietnssmagsstingrsvienkāršs
hudstrog
severe
[sɪˈvɪəʳ] ADJ (severer (compar) (severest (superl)))1. (= serious) [problem, consequence, damage] → grave, serio; [injury, illness] → grave; [defeat, setback, shortage] → serio; [blow, reprimand] → fuerte, duro; [pain, headache] → fuerte
I suffered from severe bouts of depression → padecía profundas or serias depresiones
many families suffered severe hardship as a consequence → muchas familias sufrieron enormes penurias a consecuencia de ello
we have been under severe pressure to cut costs → nos han presionado mucho para reducir gastos
to suffer a severe loss of blood → sufrir gran pérdida de sangre
severe losses (Fin) → enormes or cuantiosas pérdidas fpl
I suffered from severe bouts of depression → padecía profundas or serias depresiones
many families suffered severe hardship as a consequence → muchas familias sufrieron enormes penurias a consecuencia de ello
we have been under severe pressure to cut costs → nos han presionado mucho para reducir gastos
to suffer a severe loss of blood → sufrir gran pérdida de sangre
severe losses (Fin) → enormes or cuantiosas pérdidas fpl
2. (= harsh) [weather, conditions, winter] → duro, riguroso; [cold] → extremo; [storm, flooding, frost] → fuerte
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
severe
[sɪˈvɪər] adj (= harsh) [punishment, criticism] → sévère; [person, teacher] → sévère; [expression] → sévère
A crime like this deserves a severe punishment → Un tel crime mérite un châtiment sévère.
to be severe with sb → être sévère avec qn
I think you were a little too severe with them → Je trouve que tu as été un peu trop sévère avec eux.
A crime like this deserves a severe punishment → Un tel crime mérite un châtiment sévère.
to be severe with sb → être sévère avec qn
I think you were a little too severe with them → Je trouve que tu as été un peu trop sévère avec eux.
(= serious) [injury, pain, depression] → sévère often before n
a severe shortage of food → une sévère pénurie alimentaire
severe injuries → de sévères blessures
a severe shortage of food → une sévère pénurie alimentaire
severe injuries → de sévères blessures
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
severe
adj (+er)
(= grave, grievous) defeat, hardship, damage, pressure → schwer; illness, injury, blow, loss → schwer, schlimm; pain → stark, heftig; problem → schwer, ernsthaft; consequence → schwerwiegend, schwer wiegend; to have a severe cold → eine schwere Erkältung haben
(= strict) critic, law, punishment, test → hart; penalty → schwer(wiegend), schwer (wiegend); discipline → streng, eisern; reprimand, criticism → scharf
(= harsh) weather → rau; weather conditions → schwer, schwierig; winter → streng, hart; frost, drought → schwer, schlimm; storm → schwer, stark
(= grim, serious) person, manner → streng; expression → ernst; to be severe with somebody → streng mit jdm sein; to be severe on somebody → hart über jdn urteilen
(= austere) clothes, appearance, hairstyle, architecture, style → streng
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
severe
[sɪˈvɪəʳ] adj (-r (comp) (-st (superl))) (problem, case, flooding, injuries) → grave; (climate, winter, restrictions) → rigido/a; (frost, cold) → intenso/a; (punishment, person) → severo/a; (examination) → rigoroso/a; (damage) → ingente; (blow, criticism) → duro/a; (pain, headache, pressure) → forte; (symptoms) → acuto/ato be severe (with sb) → essere severo/a (con qn)
a severe cold → un forte raffreddore
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
severe
(səˈviə) adjective1. (of something unpleasant) serious; extreme. severe shortages of food; a severe illness; Our team suffered a severe defeat.
2. strict or harsh. a severe mother; severe criticism.
3. (of style in dress etc) very plain. a severe hairstyle.
seˈverely adverbseˈverity (-ˈve-) noun
the severity of the punishment; the severity of her dress.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
severe
a. grave, severo-a;
___ acute respiratory syndrome → síndrome respiratorio agudo ___.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
severe
adj severoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.