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
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Recent Examples of severely
On July 14, a jury of 10 women and two men found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the shooting that killed his father-in-law Gary Spohr, 70, and severely wounded his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68, at their home near Lake Tahoe.
—
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Hamas' top leadership has been assassinated, its fighting capacity severely curbed in Gaza.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Everything has broken right for Egbuka since the moment he was drafted, with Chris Godwin having a setback from his 2024 injury, Jalen McMillan severely injuring his neck and then Mike Evans succumbing to his annual hamstring injury.
—Michael Salfino, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Focus on uptown shootings Uptown residents have called the area’s safety into question after several shootings this year have left people severely injured or dead.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
Nearly 2,200 Milwaukee County homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the August floods, new data show.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Barnes missed the past two games, while McAlister was severely limited in TCU’s loss to Arizona State.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2025
Your doctor may recommend administering fluids into a vein if you are severely dehydrated.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 5 Oct. 2025
Small towns along the French Broad River, like Marshall and Hot Springs, were severely affected, with floodwaters either leveling buildings or plastering the structures with thick mud and silt.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Hamas' top leadership has been assassinated, its fighting capacity severely curbed in Gaza.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Everything has broken right for Egbuka since the moment he was drafted, with Chris Godwin having a setback from his 2024 injury, Jalen McMillan severely injuring his neck and then Mike Evans succumbing to his annual hamstring injury.
—Michael Salfino, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Focus on uptown shootings Uptown residents have called the area’s safety into question after several shootings this year have left people severely injured or dead.
—Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
Nearly 2,200 Milwaukee County homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the August floods, new data show.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Barnes missed the past two games, while McAlister was severely limited in TCU’s loss to Arizona State.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2025
Your doctor may recommend administering fluids into a vein if you are severely dehydrated.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 5 Oct. 2025
Small towns along the French Broad River, like Marshall and Hot Springs, were severely affected, with floodwaters either leveling buildings or plastering the structures with thick mud and silt.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severely
Adverb
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In the 42nd minute, having cut inside Niang, Leysen lunged wildly to try and prevent Elanga recovering the ball, but got nowhere near it and conceded a penalty (he was harshly adjudged to have handballed it during the second half for another spot kick, too).—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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He was immediately called out by a member of the Directing Staff, who addressed him harshly by his team number.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Some genres may be extremely violent and gory, so parents may want to consider supervising their children's viewing of films or avoid them altogether.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
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Grain bins and silos can be extremely deadly if people get trapped inside.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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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
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On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Not terribly long ago, Spanish restaurants were abundant in this part of Manhattan, but a good number have died off in recent years.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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Immediate forgiveness – a message of letting go of the anger that comes with being so terribly wronged – has a familiar sound to those who have been following a frighteningly violent news cycle.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Catriona, the charming young heiress to a vast oil fortune, and her two year old son Adam, were brutally kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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The drama follows Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) as a detective called in to investigate the 1987 massacre of four scientists brutally murdered in inexplicable ways, with a lone survivor the obvious suspect.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Hamlin wanted that race win badly, but securing the runner-up position meant he is placed fourth in the standings.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Spurs did not just play badly against Glimt; they were battered.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Nobody worked harder in practice, and that became contagious to his teammates.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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The best curtains on Amazon are hard-working pieces of home decor.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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At the time, the fields of primatology, ethology, anthropology, and all of science were incredibly male-dominated.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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And there was Mahab Ghodss, an incredibly powerful and opaque consulting firm run by regime insiders, which drafted the studies for dam projects and lobbied for approval.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Severely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severely. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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