1
as in harsh
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fierce
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
clergymen who dressed in severe clothing
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3
as in serious
not joking or playful in mood or manner
the judge maintained a severe expression throughout the trial
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4
as in tough
difficult to endure
a severe winter that was among the coldest on record
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5
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
a severe test of courage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of severe
The state argued incidents that arose from the ICE facility protests in recent months have been handled by local law enforcement and have not been severe enough to be considered a riot or rebellion.
—
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
This suggests that Congress — already plagued by severe partisan gridlock — could face even greater degrees of paralysis.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Recurrent fevers during pregnancy can increase the risk of autism by up to 300%, particularly in pregnant patients with severe or prolonged infections.
—Tami S. Rowen, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
The Next Gen car has attracted severe criticism from drivers this year, mainly due to the drop in power output compared to the previous car.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for severe
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
This suggests that Congress — already plagued by severe partisan gridlock — could face even greater degrees of paralysis.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Recurrent fevers during pregnancy can increase the risk of autism by up to 300%, particularly in pregnant patients with severe or prolonged infections.
—Tami S. Rowen, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
The Next Gen car has attracted severe criticism from drivers this year, mainly due to the drop in power output compared to the previous car.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for severe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severe
Adjective
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The triumphant narrative began to fray when exceedingly harsh lockdown measures could no longer contain the spread of the virus, and the staggering human cost in the name of protecting lives defied all logic.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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There are no easy fixes, so figuring out how to cushion the harsh impact will be the basis of negotiations with other parties in the Japanese legislature, the Diet.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As Auberge continues expanding into urban markets and deepening its European presence, the challenge will be maintaining that fierce independence at scale.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
6 Oct. 2025
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Rescuers are struggling to reach at least 200 hikers trapped in a Mount Everest valley by an unexpectedly fierce weekend snowstorm that pounded the mountain with snow and heavy rain, according to Chinese state media CCTV.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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From a potentially serious injury sustained by linebacker Dwight Nunoo to a multitude of mistakes, Saturday’s 51-10 loss to the host Connecticut Huskies (4-2) was devastating to FIU (2-3).—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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This was a period of serious violence in Argentina, with the most notable death in footballing terms being the assassination of General Omar Actis, the head of the World Cup organising committee.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For once, the bulk of the anger was directed not at Fosun — the investment group and majority shareholder – and the Molineux hierarchy who have conspired to deal Pereira a difficult hand, but at the head coach himself and his players.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Romancelandia’s social world, harnessed by its business-minded authors, may make its success exceedingly difficult to replicate.—
Rebecca Ackermann,
The Atlantic,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.—
Rob Williams,
EverydayHealth.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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Article 3 Section 5 of the Tennessee Constitution places strict limitations on the regular circumstances under which a governor can deploy guard troops.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This pays off to some extent because Day-Lewis is such a mesmerizing presence, Ray’s gruff manner and terse communications hinting at dark mysteries to be revealed.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Sep. 2025
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Yom Kippur is the most solemn Jewish holiday, marking the end of the 10 Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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Models walking the runway — staged at the Pinacoteca di Brera museum — had solemn expressions on their faces.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Severe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severe. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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