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

Xinjiang, which borders central Asia in China’s far west, has been subject to severe security measures in recent years as part of what the government says has been a successful program to quash extremist and separatist movements. — Dake Kang, The Seattle Times, "Exposed Chinese database shows depth of surveillance state," 20 Feb. 2019 The couple has been inseparable ever since their September courthouse wedding, a much welcome change after a severe breakup three years prior. — Annie Leibovitz, Vogue, "Justin and Hailey Bieber Vogue Cover Photographed by Annie Leibovitz," 7 Feb. 2019 In 2006, Ryan had to leave the band because the constant touring had left him with severe injuries, ET Canada reported. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Wait, Who Else Besides Adam Levine Is in Maroon 5?," 20 Jan. 2019 These rare-but-severe dips subsequently went away in each game's post-Denuvo version. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Evidence continues to mount about how bad Denuvo is for PC gaming performance," 26 Dec. 2018 The severe weather is likely to cause problems both on the ground and in the sky. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "AccuWeather Predicts a Major Storm Will Drastically Affect Christmas Travel," 20 Dec. 2018 The Florida Forest Service assesses damage in three categories: catastrophic, severe and moderate. — Ryan Dezember, WSJ, "Stressed Southern Timber Growers Get Hit Again," 27 Oct. 2018 The organization has deployed in response to natural disasters including severe flooding in South Carolina in 2016, and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. — Frank Miles, Fox News, "Hurricane Florence relief to include beloved BBQ," 18 Sep. 2018 Here’s a diagram of what’s happening inside the brain as CTE grows more and more severe. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain," 4 Feb. 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.