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severe

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Synonyms & Antonyms of severe

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

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dour,
gruff

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2 harsh and threatening in manner or appearance

clergymen who dressed in severe clothing

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3 not joking or playful in mood or manner

the judge maintained a severe expression throughout the trial

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gloomy,
grim

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4 difficult to endure

a severe winter that was among the coldest on record

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5 requiring considerable physical or mental effort

a severe test of courage

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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