severely

adverb

Definition of severelynext
1
as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering the building was severely damaged by the explosion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in extremely
to a great degree the rescued mountain climbers were severely dehydrated

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of severely The movie offered a sly critique of Korea’s rapid urbanization, and introduced the wayward types (bar girls, severely disabled men) that would populate all of Lee’s films. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 The wars severely tarnished the United States’ global reputation and left a generation of Americans skeptical that the country could be a force for good in the world. — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026 Marco Bello / Reuters Standing outside his father's home in Pensacola, Florida, amid the debris and damage left behind by Isaias, one man recounted how the storm took his stepmother's life and severely injured his father. — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026 Traffic became severely congested as thousands of residents attempted to drive home, leaving major roads gridlocked. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 Last week, ProPublica detailed the case of two girls severely sickened last year after consuming raw goat milk from an unregulated farm in southern California. — Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2026 Cross-border contact had been severely limited since Hamas seized power in 2007. — Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 Yet earlier this year, the same type of pipe was linked to a home explosion in Lake Dallas that left a woman severely injured. — CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 This crop diversification was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely disrupted industries such as agriculture. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severely
  1. harshly
  2. extremely
  3. oppressively
  4. terribly
  5. brutally
  6. incredibly
  7. hard
  8. badly
Adverb
  • But their complaints come as Lecornu's government seeks to rein in public spending to appease skittish bond markets, which have punished France more harshly than many of its peers this year, amid a global bond market rout.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • His government has also been harshly criticized for a migration crisis in Ceuta.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of harshly
Adverb
  • Experts attribute the extremely warm ocean temperatures that fueled Rachel, which peaked as a Category 3 hurricane, in part to El Niño.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • All this makes the Home app very easy to use, but extremely underpowered.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adverb
  • The summer had seen Europe endure an oppressively dry, hot summer, which had seen wildfires spring up across the continent.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • After a bit of a reprieve from an oppressively hot summer, another heat wave is set to scorch Southern California this week.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of oppressively
Adverb
  • Susanna Moore is terribly important to us, more so than any of Hemingway’s gallant girls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Nazis employed the V-2 heavily during this time, but the rocket was not terribly accurate.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of terribly
Adverb
  • It was forgotten by the time Banks ran around the field celebrating, but a brutally slow start made the first quarter utterly forgettable.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • When three bodies are found brutally torn apart in a house, Meg (Deborah Ann Woll) is informed by Ian (Will Hochman), the detective working the case, that one of them is her dad, who has been missing for 36 years.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutally
Adverb
  • Indeed, the diamond was quite an exquisite addition, considering that such gemstones over 10 carats are incredibly rare.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • For now, this perfect mix of burgeoning youth and senior leadership has come together to create an incredibly deep team with big dreams.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of incredibly
Adverb
  • Tri Ocean’s customer base remains predominantly Vietnamese and Chinese, but the store increasingly attracts non-Asian shoppers searching for fresh seafood, tropical produce and hard-to-find specialty items, like authentic pho ingredients.
    — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • By Saturday night, Long Beach reported that seawater had entered homes and into streets, with the city’s Peninsula neighborhood being hard hit, and its boardwalk crumbling.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of hard
Adverb
  • The Anthropic report is the latest warning issued by the company concerning rogue AI agents operating on their own and sometimes behaving badly.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Although the house is still standing, the interior was left so badly damaged that the family can no longer live there.
    — Joan Murray, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of badly

Browse Nearby Words

severed
severely
severeness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Severely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severely. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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