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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in tough
difficult to endure
a severe winter that was among the coldest on record
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
a severe test of courage
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as in hardness
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
even though no one expected the film to be a hit with the critics, the director was taken aback by the severity of the criticism
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of severe
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
The other employee who sued, Sheila Edwards, suffered severe injuries, the lawsuit states.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Oct. 2025
Karoun Demirjian, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for severe
Adjective
The tide could be a foot higher than the point where major flooding begins that can produce severe damage to homes and businesses, making some roads impassable and isolating neighborhoods.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
The other employee who sued, Sheila Edwards, suffered severe injuries, the lawsuit states.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
The disruptions came a day after the transportation secretary warned that the government shutdown could lead to delays and cancellations, but neither the cause nor the severity of the shortages was immediately clear.
—Karoun Demirjian, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for severe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severe
Adjective
-
Never use bleach to clean the toilet tank as this harsh chemical can damage the tank's interior and lead to faster corrosion.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
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Except, much like the prison scenes, Kiss of the Spider Woman‘s reality ends up being much harsher than the fantasy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Israel then launched its war on the strip, which has been devastated by fierce bombardment and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground operations.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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Plenty of companies offer fully remote work, Frana says, but competition can be fierce for those roles.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
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Some 80% of older adult households, about 34 million, don't have the financial resources to weather a shock such as sudden widowhood, serious illness or need for long-term care.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The end result of a tough negotiation that included a nearly two-week blackout of Disney channels on Charter in 2023 was a much closer working relationship between the two.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
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Just a week after giving birth, Menish took her six-hour Evidence exam from home in December 2023 — one of the toughest finals in the curriculum.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Travel could be very difficult to impossible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
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This Is My Story While Israel and Hamas have accepted the two-phase agreement, many of the more difficult issues have been left unresolved.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Li, a writer whose stories are compressed and deceptively simple, spoke with humor and a certain hardness, perhaps born of the clarity of unimaginable loss.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
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Finally, impact strength assesses a material’s ability to absorb sudden shocks without shattering, highlighting that the hardness alone doesn’t always mean toughness.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 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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Both are ruggedly handsome, gruff and not short on ego.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 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
Cite this Entry
“Severe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severe. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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