SEVERE

dangerous, grave, grievous, serious, severe, life-threatening

(adjective) 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”

severe

(adjective) very bad in degree or extent; “a severe worldwide depression”; “the house suffered severe damage”

severe, spartan

(adjective) 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”

severe, terrible, wicked

(adjective) 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”

austere, severe, stark, stern

(adjective) severely simple; “a stark interior”

hard, knockout, severe

(adjective) very strong or vigorous; “strong winds”; “a hard left to the chin”; “a knockout punch”; “a severe blow”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

severe (comparative severer or more severe, superlative severest or most severe)

Very bad or intense.

Strict or harsh.

Sober, plain in appearance, austere.

Synonyms

• brutal

• extreme

• hard

• harsh

• intense

• rigorous

• serious

• heavy

Antonyms

• (very bad or intense): mild

• (very bad or intense): minor

• (strict or harsh): lenient

Anagrams

• Reeves, everse, reeves, servee

Proper noun

Severe (plural Severes)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Severe is the 15409^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1901 individuals. Severe is most common among White (47.61%) and Black/African American (46.71%) individuals.

Anagrams

• Reeves, everse, reeves, servee

Source: Wiktionary

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Se*vere", a. [Compar. Severer; superl. Severest.] Etym: [L. severus; perhaps akin to Gr. swikns innocent, chaste: cf. F. sévère. Cf. Asseverate, Persevere.]

1. Serious in feeeling or manner; sedate; grave; austere; not light, lively, or cheerful. Your looks alter, as your subject does, From kind to fierce, from wanton to severe. Waller.

2. Very strict in judgment, discipline, or government; harsh; not mild or indulgent; rigorous; as, severe criticism; severe punishment. "Custody severe." Milton. Come! you are too severe a moraler. Shak. Let your zeal, if it must be expressed in anger, be always more severe against thyself than against others. Jer. Taylor.

3. Rigidly methodical, or adherent to rule or principle; exactly conformed to a standard; not allowing or employing unneccessary ornament, amplification, etc.; strict; -- said of style, argument, etc. "Restrained by reason and severe principles." Jer. Taylor. The Latin, a most severe and compendious language. Dryden.

4. Sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme; as, severe pain, anguish, fortune; severe cold.

5. Difficult to be endured; exact; critical; rigorous; as, a severe test.

Syn.

– Strict; grave; austere; stern; morose; rigid; exact; rigorous; hard; rough; harsh; censorious; tart; acrimonious; sarcastic; satirical; cutting; biting; keen; bitter; cruel. See Strict.

– Se*vere"ly, adv.

– Se*vere"ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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