Entry Word: severe

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint <a severe, uncompromising teacher who locked the classroom door precisely when the bell rang and let no one in afterward>

Synonyms austere, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh, heavy-handed, ramrod, rigid, rigorous, stern, strict

Related Words demanding, exacting; uncharitable, unforgiving; adamant, adamantine, hardened, hardhearted, immovable, implacable, inflexible, ossified, unbending, uncompromising, unyielding; dour, gruff; ascetic, monastic; browbeating, bullying; determined, firm, resolved, single-minded, steadfast, unflinching; dogged, intractable, obstinate, relentless

Near Antonyms easy, easygoing, laid-back, undemanding; charitable, kind, merciful, patient, soft, softhearted; accepting, compromising, yielding; responsive, willing; acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, flexible, pliable, pliant

Antonyms forbearing, indulgent, lax, lenient, tolerant

2 harsh and threatening in manner or appearance <clergymen who dressed in severe clothing> — see grim 1
3 not joking or playful in mood or manner <the judge maintained a severe expression throughout the trial> — see serious 1
4 difficult to endure <a severe winter that was among the coldest on record> — see harsh 1
5 requiring considerable physical or mental effort <a severe test of courage> — see hard 2