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severe

adjective
se·​vere | \ sÉ™-ˈvir How to pronounce severe (audio) \
severer; severest

Definition of severe

1a : strict in judgment, discipline, or government
b : of a strict or stern bearing or manner : austere
2 : rigorous in restraint, punishment, or requirement : stringent
3 : strongly critical or condemnatory a severe critic
4a : maintaining a scrupulously exacting standard of behavior or self-discipline
b : establishing exacting standards of accuracy and integrity in intellectual processes a severe logician
5 : sober or restrained in decoration or manner : plain a severe dress
6a : causing discomfort or hardship : harsh severe winters
b : very painful or harmful a severe wound
7 : requiring great effort : arduous a severe test
8 : of a great degree severe depression
Other Words from severe Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about severe

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Other Words from severe

severely adverb
severeness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for severe

severe, stern, austere, ascetic mean given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint. severe implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness. severe military discipline stern stresses inflexibility and inexorability of temper or character. stern arbiters of public morality austere stresses absence of warmth, color, or feeling and may apply to rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial. living an austere life in the country ascetic implies abstention from pleasure and comfort or self-indulgence as spiritual discipline. the ascetic life of the monks

Examples of severe in a Sentence

On Feb. 25 regulators laid out details on how they will run the "stress tests" that Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner has promised on the biggest banks. Now those tests, designed to judge whether the banks have the capital to keep lending and absorb losses in a severe recession, face an exam of their own. — Jane Sasseen et al., Business Week, 9 Mar. 2009 A study in February in the journal Lancet, for instance, compared treatments for severe ankle sprains, concluding that a below-the-knee cast is superior to a tubular compression bandage. — Sharon Begley, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2009 Between 2000 and 2004 the number of Americans covered by Medicaid rose by a remarkable eight million. Over the same period the ranks of the uninsured rose by six million. So without the growth of Medicaid, the uninsured population would have exploded, and we'd be facing a severe crisis in medical care. — Paul Krugman et al., New York Review of Books, 23 Mar. 2006 As several economists—most notably Jeffrey Williamson, of Harvard University—have written recently, international trade increased dramatically between 1850 and the First World War. Williamson goes on to point out that one consequence of this earlier period of globalization was that governments retreated into policies of severe trade and immigration restrictions. — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 10 May 1999 The storm caused severe damage to the roof. The patient is in severe pain. children with severe learning disabilities In the most severe cases, the disease can lead to blindness. He suffered a severe head injury. He faces severe penalties for his actions. The war was a severe test of his leadership.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Cancellation will only be made in the case of severe thunderstorms. — Mary Jane Brewer, cleveland.com, "Medina County parks offer special fall and Halloween activities," 4 Sep. 2019 The Akal Takhat also faced severe damage during the Operation Blue Star in June 1984. — Sondeep Sankar, Quartz India, "In photos: A glorious history of Sikhism," 3 Sep. 2019 That said, an Aug. 21st severe thunderstorm and flash flood event across most of Denver did not result in any official rainfall at Denver’s observation site at Denver International Airport. — Chris Bianchi, The Denver Post, "August finishes as Denver’s third-warmest on record," 2 Sep. 2019 Two years ago, Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on several parts of the Sunshine State, causing mass power outages, extensive flooding, and severe infrastructure damage. — NBC News, "Florida gets ready for potential category 4 hurricane as Dorian rages closer," 29 Aug. 2019 Characteristics of tornadoes Twisters are usually accompanied or preceded by severe thunderstorms and high wlnds. — Ron Johnson, National Geographic, "THE BEST OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX," 28 Aug. 2019 The most ill patients have experienced severe lung damage requiring ventilators and oxygen treatments, and some are expected to have permanent lung damage. — Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, "First Death Linked To Vaping Reported Amid Escalating Illness," 24 Aug. 2019 Tariffs already are taking a toll on the U.S. economy, and the latter two measures would risk severe damage to U.S. firms, many of which are struggling even to shift supply chains to low-wage countries like Vietnam, let alone back to America. — Fortune, "Can Trump ‘Order’ US Firms Out of China? Should He? — CEO Daily," 24 Aug. 2019 The cases have ranged in severity, with some patients suffering severe lung damage that required weeks of treatment in the intensive care units. — Sheila Kaplan, BostonGlobe.com, "Dozens of young people sickened after vaping; physicians are stumped," 15 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'severe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of severe

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for severe

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin severus

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More Definitions for severe

severe

adjective
How to pronounce severe (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of severe

: very bad, serious, or unpleasant
: causing a lot of physical pain or suffering
: very harsh

See the full definition for severe in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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