severe

adjective

se·vere | \sə-ˈvir

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

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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.

Recent Examples on the Web

What's more is that LED therapy with antimicrobial blue light has been known to be highly effective in treating severe acne, which Jenner has suffered from in the past—and had zero qualms about getting real about it. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Kendall Jenner Just Got a Mindblowing Birthday Gift From Her Sisters," 8 Nov. 2018 Florida, for instance, has been suffering a severe toxic algae bloom for the past few months. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Annual 'Suffocations' Are the Forest Fires of the Ocean," 30 Oct. 2018 According to the news outlet, she was born with health conditions including an inoperable cyst on her brain, severe scoliosis, and cerebral palsy. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "See the Incredible Moment Keith Urban Made a Dying Fan's Last Wish Come True," 20 Oct. 2018 The disaster took place in the tiny Welsh coal mining town of Aberfan on October 21, 1966, when the top of a mining heap broke loose after severe rain fall, causing a landslide which killed 116 children and 28 adults. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "New Photos from the Set of The Crown Show Its Commitment to Accuracy," 4 Oct. 2018 With severe weather in the forecast for other southeastern states, accommodations will be available as long as possible prior to potential landfall. — Zoe Szathmary, Fox News, "Hurricane Florence evacuees could find refuge at some NASCAR racetracks: reports," 12 Sep. 2018 The climate center said the trade-off is that, at least in the southern half of the United States, the chances of severe winter weather usually increase. — Alex Johnson /, NBC News, "It's looking more likely we'll have another El Niño this season, weather service says," 15 June 2018 Dear Tom, In recent years, our family cabin in Ely, Minn., has been repeatedly been hit by severe thunderstorms. — Tom Skilling, chicagotribune.com, "Ask Tom: Is there a reason one particular area keeps getting hit by severe thunderstorms?," 12 July 2018 On July 10, 1989, severe thunderstorms spawned 17 tornadoes in the Northeast, with three in Connecticut. — Gary Lessor, courant.com, "Sunny, Hot, Humid Conditions Tuesday," 9 July 2018

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.