severer; severest
1
a
: 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
4
a
: 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
6
a
: 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
severely
adverb
severeness
noun
Synonyms
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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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.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Children under age five, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are more at risk of developing severe illnesses that require medical care or hospitalization.
—Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2023
The stress of the situation led to his developing a severe gastrointestinal illness.
—Billboard China, Billboard, 1 Dec. 2023
Older adults over the age of 60 are also eligible for an RSV vaccine to protect against severe illness and death.
—Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 30 Nov. 2023
Born on Christmas Day, 1957, in the English county of Kent, Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan was raised by his mother and father, both of whom were Irish immigrants at a time of severe tension between the two countries.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 Nov. 2023
San Diego also is one of a handful of counties participating in a pilot project for CARE Court, a new government law that allows loved ones, service providers and others to petition the court for intervention with residents diagnosed with severe mental illnesses.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023
Nora Super, executive director of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging and former director of the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging, was seeking contributions after suffering a severe spinal cord injury.
—Judith Graham, Fortune Well, 28 Nov. 2023
Watts sustained a fractured skull and severe traumatic brain injury, which left him permanently impaired and disabled, according to the HSE.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
If the collision is severe enough, air bags might deploy, too.
—WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023
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Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2023
The stress of the situation led to his developing a severe gastrointestinal illness.
—Billboard China, Billboard, 1 Dec. 2023
Older adults over the age of 60 are also eligible for an RSV vaccine to protect against severe illness and death.
—Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 30 Nov. 2023
Born on Christmas Day, 1957, in the English county of Kent, Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan was raised by his mother and father, both of whom were Irish immigrants at a time of severe tension between the two countries.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 Nov. 2023
San Diego also is one of a handful of counties participating in a pilot project for CARE Court, a new government law that allows loved ones, service providers and others to petition the court for intervention with residents diagnosed with severe mental illnesses.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2023
Nora Super, executive director of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging and former director of the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging, was seeking contributions after suffering a severe spinal cord injury.
—Judith Graham, Fortune Well, 28 Nov. 2023
Watts sustained a fractured skull and severe traumatic brain injury, which left him permanently impaired and disabled, according to the HSE.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
If the collision is severe enough, air bags might deploy, too.
—WIRED, 19 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'severe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin severus
First Known Use
1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing severe
Dictionary Entries Near severe
Cite this Entry
“Severe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/severe. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
severe
adjective
se·vere
sə-ˈvi(ə)r 
severer; severest
1
a
: strict in judgment, discipline, or government
a severe ruler
b
: serious in feeling or manner : grave
2
: not using unnecessary ornament : plain
a severe style
3
: inflicting pain, distress, or hardship
severe wounds
a severe winter
4
: requiring great effort
a severe test
severely
adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on severe
Nglish: Translation of severe for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of severe for Arabic Speakers
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