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
Relevance
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
Syria’s healthcare infrastructure has been severely damaged during its long-running civil war, while Lebanon’s hospitals have struggled with economic collapse and refugee pressures.
—
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 15 Mar. 2026
In recent decades, as mental illness has become less stigmatized and as the gap in available coverage has become more acute, states and counties have used tax money to rebuild some of what is needed to care for the most severely mentally ill.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
The journalist moves in the shadows, having been put onto dangerous lists and seen several colleagues either killed or severely harmed at the hands of the mercenaries.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Further complicating the challenge is the issue of visas, which are required by countries including China and India on various flight paths in the severely restricted airspace.
—Blane Bachelor, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
And sending in ground troops would, of course, be unacceptable to most Americans and would severely hurt the Republicans in the upcoming midterm Congressional elections and even the 2028 presidential election.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
The roof of a school building in the Chicago suburb of Niles, Illinois, was severely damaged by wind.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Cuban laws severely punish any criticism or protest against the government.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
In 1988, ten Navy sailors were severely injured on the USS Samuel Roberts after hitting an Iranian M-08 mine designed exactly 80 years earlier.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 15 Mar. 2026
In recent decades, as mental illness has become less stigmatized and as the gap in available coverage has become more acute, states and counties have used tax money to rebuild some of what is needed to care for the most severely mentally ill.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
The journalist moves in the shadows, having been put onto dangerous lists and seen several colleagues either killed or severely harmed at the hands of the mercenaries.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Further complicating the challenge is the issue of visas, which are required by countries including China and India on various flight paths in the severely restricted airspace.
—Blane Bachelor, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
And sending in ground troops would, of course, be unacceptable to most Americans and would severely hurt the Republicans in the upcoming midterm Congressional elections and even the 2028 presidential election.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
The roof of a school building in the Chicago suburb of Niles, Illinois, was severely damaged by wind.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Cuban laws severely punish any criticism or protest against the government.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
In 1988, ten Navy sailors were severely injured on the USS Samuel Roberts after hitting an Iranian M-08 mine designed exactly 80 years earlier.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severely
Adverb
-
Dissent is harshly punished in Iran, as demonstrated earlier this year when the regime killed thousands of protesters who dared to challenge its rule.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Since leaving office, Ahmadinejad has harshly criticized the Iranian government, and as a result, Iran’s Guardian Council has formally excluded him from running for president.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
One of the more important revelations from Netanyahu’s press conference was about how the joint strikes with the United States, known as Operation Epic Fury, have been extremely effective at decimating Iran’s weapons.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Yet, actual bones have been extremely rare.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
In Geekbench, the A18 Pro’s single-core speeds weren't terribly far behind the A16’s multi-core<\/em> speeds.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Also, stars in this frenzied state aren’t terribly stable; the fusion rate can be tempestuous, and the star undergoes incredibly violent paroxysms.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
During a scene from her childhood, Jane brutally digs her nails into her older brother for turning the channel away from Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ lavish 1981 wedding.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In 2019, Atre was kidnapped and found brutally murdered at his Santa Cruz estate.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The conditioner is incredibly moisturizing and the shampoo lathers up nicely.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
-
That pricing makes scaling incredibly simple.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Sporting pushed hard in the second half for an equalizer, and momentum appeared to be with the home club.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The hard-throwing righty sprinted up the dugout steps for one more out after his first three outs on Thursday.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Better inside than outside There is a growing bipartisan consensus that Mullin will replace Noem, who badly mismanaged her portfolio.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Molliver said Liam is back in his suburban Minneapolis school, but that he and his father were badly shaken by their time in detention.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Severely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severely. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
