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severe
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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>Synonymsaustere, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh, heavy-handed, ramrod, rigid, rigorous, stern, strictRelated Wordsdemanding, 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, relentlessNear Antonymseasy, easygoing, laid-back, undemanding; charitable, kind, merciful, patient, soft, softhearted; accepting, compromising, yielding; responsive, willing; acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, compliant, flexible, pliable, pliantAntonymsforbearing, indulgent, lax, lenient, tolerant
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harsh and threatening in manner or appearance<clergymen who dressed in severe clothing>— see grim 1
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not joking or playful in mood or manner<the judge maintained a severe expression throughout the trial>— see serious 1
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difficult to endure<a severe winter that was among the coldest on record>— see harsh 1
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requiring considerable physical or mental effort<a severe test of courage>— see hard 2
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